Martinez Animal Hospital agreed to pay a former employee $20,000 after an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concluded the animal hospital had subjected the employee to mandatory training contrary to his religious beliefs, the EEOC announced.
When the employee objected to the training, which incorporated religious content, and requested to be excused from future trainings, he was terminated within days, the EEOC investigation found.
The conduct violates the federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits retaliation by an employer against protected activity including requests for religious accommodations, the commission said in a press statement.
The veterinary facility in Martinez has also agreed to revise its non-discrimination policies, conduct training for all employees, and post a notice on equal employment rights in English and Spanish, the EEOC said.
Martinez Animal Hospital did not respond to a request for comment.
“I expressed my concerns to management over training I was required to attend and was soon fired,” said the employee, who the commission did not identify. “I’m very glad the EEOC defended my right to speak up and ask for a religious accommodation, such as an exemption from religious-based content that made me uncomfortable.”
EEOC Oakland Office director Carlos Rocha commended the animal hospital’s “commitment to preventing any future retaliation.”
“This case should serve as a reminder for employers to train supervisors and representatives to recognize what may constitute protected activity under federal EEO laws and how to respond in a way that does not interfere with workers’ rights,” Rocha said.