The U.S. Postal Service illegally discriminated against an evangelical Christian by forcing him to work on Sundays, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday (June 29).
Mail worker Gerald Groff had sued his employer after they asked him to work on Sundays to deliver packages from retail giant Amazon.
But justices unanimously decided that it was illegal for him to face disciplinary action from USPS for not showing up to work on the traditional day of rest for Christians.
On Thursday, writing the court, Justice Samuel Alito said employers must make more efforts to accommodate the religious beliefs of their staff.
Gerald Groff, a former postal worker, resigned in 2019 in protest at the Sunday shift patterns and the disciplinary sanctions he faced for refusing to work on the Sabbath
Courts ‘should resolve whether a hardship would be substantial in the context of an employer’s business in the commonsense manner that it would use in applying any such test,’ he wrote.
It waters down an earlier decision from a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, that said employers can deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose more than a minimal cost on the business.
Lawyers for Groff argued his rights had been breached under the Civil Rights Act, a landmark 1964 piece of anti-discrimination legislation.
The ruling is the latest by America’s top court, which is dominated by six conservatives to three libels, that puts an emphasis on the expanding role of religion in public life.
Last year, justices were split along ideological lines in ruling for a public high school football coach who wanted to pray on the field after games.
Justices issued the ruling in favor of Groff, arguing the lower courts had misunderstood the law
Florida Senator Mario Rubio hailed Thursday’s ruling as ‘a huge victory for religious liberty.
‘Commonsense is slowly returning,’ he added.
Groff worked as a mailman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area from 2012 to 2019, when he resigned in protest over the Sunday work shifts.
His job was to fill in when other workers were not available, including on weekends and holidays.
A devout Christian, he never asked to work on Sundays until 2015 when USPS told him they need him to deliver Amazon packages on that day.
His managers arranged for other postal workers to deliver packages on Sundays until July 2018 when he started to face disciplinary sanctions for not turning up to work.
Officials said Groff’s absences created a tense environment and contributed to morale problems.
It also meant other carriers had to deliver more Sunday mail than they otherwise would.
Groff’s case will now return to lower courts for further litigation as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision.
He said in a statement after the ruling that he was grateful the court heard his case. “I hope this decision allows others to be able to maintain their convictions without living in fear of losing their jobs because of what they believe,” he said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk