Religious Accommodations Policy

1. POLICY STATEMENT

ABC Company is committed to providing a work environment in which persons of all faiths, religions and creeds are treated with dignity and respect and nobody is forced to choose between their sincerely held religious or creed-based beliefs and their employment duties. In furtherance of these principles and its obligations under applicable federal, provincial and territorial human rights legislation (including applicable Human Rights Codes and Acts across Canada), ABC Company’s policy is to make good faith efforts to provide religious and creed-based accommodations for employees and job applicants whose sincerely held beliefs conflict with employment obligations under ABC Company policies, procedures or practices, to the extent such accommodations are reasonable and do not impose undue hardship as defined under applicable human rights law.

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to establish clear, fair and consistent rules and procedures for requesting, determining and implementing reasonable religious and creed-based accommodations in compliance with applicable human rights legislation and workplace health and safety requirements across Canada.

3. DEFINITIONS

A. Creed encompasses both religious and non-religious belief systems that have a nexus to a community or shared system of belief, govern one’s conduct, and are sincerely held and integrally linked to personal identity, self-definition and fulfillment, as recognized under applicable Canadian human rights jurisprudence.

B. Religion encompasses traditional and organized religions as well as broader religious beliefs and practices, including those that are new, uncommon or not associated with a formal church or sect, including Indigenous spiritual practices, provided that such beliefs are sincerely held and integrally linked to personal identity, self-definition and fulfillment.

C. Religious or Creed Accommodation means reasonable modifications to employment rules, policies, procedures, schedules or the work environment that enable an employee or job applicant to observe a sincerely held religious or creed-based belief or practice without causing ABC Company undue hardship.

Undue Hardship means significant difficulty or expense, assessed in accordance with Canadian human rights law. Factors may include financial cost, health and safety risks, operational impact, size and resources of the organization, and interference with collective agreement rights. Undue hardship does not include mere inconvenience, employee morale concerns, customer preference, or minor operational adjustments.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Employer: ABC Company is responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable human rights legislation; maintaining non-discriminatory policies; responding to accommodation requests in a timely, fair and confidential manner; and providing reasonable accommodation up to the point of undue hardship.

B. Supervisors: Supervisors must foster an inclusive workplace, respond appropriately to accommodation requests, cooperate in the assessment process, and support implementation of approved accommodations.

C. Employees & Job Applicants: Individuals requesting accommodation must cooperate in the process, provide reasonably necessary information to support their request where appropriate, and accept reasonable accommodations that meet their needs even if not their preferred option.

5. ACCOMMODATION PROCEDURES

Requests for religious or creed accommodation should be submitted in writing using the Religious Accommodation Request Form and provided to the employee’s supervisor or Human Resources. Requests for time off for religious observances should be made as early as possible.

Each request will be assessed individually, considering operational requirements, health and safety obligations, cost implications, duration of the accommodation, and availability of alternatives. Personal opinions about the validity of the belief or practice will not be considered.

6. PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY

ABC Company will maintain all accommodation-related documentation confidentially and separately from general personnel files, in accordance with applicable privacy legislation including federal and provincial personal information protection statutes.

7. NO RETALIATION

No employee or job applicant will face retaliation for requesting or receiving accommodation. Retaliatory conduct will result in discipline up to and including termination.