Howard Rhine, president of the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (COLPA), hailed today the adoption by both the House and the Senate of a bill that would protect the employment rights and religious practices of Sabbath observers nationwide. The Senate adopted the bill yesterday and the House last week. The bill now awaits President Nixon’s signature.
The provision, the language of which was drafted by COLPA vice-president Nathan Lewin, a Washington attorney, is part of an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and would require an employer to show that it would cause an unreasonable hardship on his business to hire or retain a Sabbath observer because of his need for time off to observe his Sabbath and other holy days during the year.
The accommodations to Sabbath observers prescribed by the bill have been required of employers since 1967 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in their Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Religion. Rhine noted that Sabbath observers have been afforded a large measure of protection under the EEOC guidelines. “However,” he said, “the guidelines are an interpretation by an Administrative Agency, whereas passage of this bill will make this protective a matter of statutory law with much greater power behind it.”
In his statement, Rhine also stated: “The passage of this bill is a vital step in guaranteeing that equal employment opportunity becomes a reality for the Orthodox Jewish community. We intend to spare no effort in securing compliance by employers with these basic rules of conduct.”
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