Thursday, July 19, 2012

3rd Circuit: Religious Accommodation For Bus Driver Would Involve Undue Hardship On Employer

In Fouche v. NJ Transit, (3d Cir., July 16, 2012), the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals held that accommodating a bus driver's need for religious reasons to not work on Sundays would have placed an undue hardship on New Jersey Transit. It would have required the transit authority to shift some Sunday driving to other drivers in breach of the seniority provision of the union's collective bargaining agreement. The court said it was impressed by the agency's willingness to employ the driver on a part-time basis to make it possible for him to avoid Sunday driving. [Thanks to CCH Employment Law Daily via Steven H. Sholk for the lead.]