Small businesses should always be cautious when managing employees and dealing with their religious beliefs because there are several laws and restrictions that prevent businesses from forcing their religious beliefs onto their employees.
According to Business and Legal Resources, a Miami-based medical and chiropractic office has agreed to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC sued the Dynamic Medical Services, Inc. (DMS), for requiring employees to spend at least half of their days at work in courses that pertained to Scientology religious practices.
Some of the religious practices included staring at someone else for eight hours without moving, screaming at ashtrays, and requiring employees to attend courses at the Church of Scientology. According to Business and Legal Resources, DMS required one employee to endure an “audit” by linking herself to an “E-meter,” which Scientologists believe is a religious artifact. The employee was also forced to go through a purification treatment at the Church of Scientology.
Employees fired for missing religious courses
The EEOC filed the suit after struggling to reach a settlement through its conciliation process. According to Miami New Times, Dennis Nobbe, the owner of DMS, has achieved one of Scientology’s highest designations with the Silver Humanitarian award and designated him as an Operating Thetan V. The status means he has power over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time.
According to Miami New Times, Nobbe has been sued eight times in federal court for unpaid wages at DMS. The terms of the consent decree for the latest religious discrimination will have Nobbe paying $170,000 to settle the lawsuit. The payments will be given to the four named claimants and four other identified class members.
The EEOC lawsuit reported that several employees repeatedly asked to not attend the courses, but were told it was an obligation of the job. In the cases of Norma Rodriguez and Rommy Sanchez, the employees refused to take part in the Scientology religious practices and didn’t conform to the employer’s religious beliefs and were terminated.
The alleged practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion and includes making workers conform to a specific religion, according to Business and Legal Resources. Small businesses can be protected by business insurance. Umbrella liability insurance can protect small businesses if they have a large or multiple claims that exceed general liability insurance.
