My employer refuses to allow me to observe the sabbath. How can I get them to respect my religion, and are there any organizations that can help me?

You seem pretty busy.

You run a store in another thread, operate a towing business in another thread, and are a business owner in a third thread.

And you work for someone else on top of that? Wish I had your energy!!

Are you Canadian based? If so, the answer is in your government's rules for employers. Talk to your HR people or a labor attorney.

I am very conservative, and you probably wouldn't like my personal answer...

Mark
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful for U.S. employers with 15 or more employees to (1) treat employees differently (disparate treatment) (2) subject employees to harassment or (3) deny an employee’s reasonable accommodation request because of the employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs or practices – or lack thereof – unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship on the employer. The law also prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee who has made a complaint of religious discrimination.

Undue hardship is defined as a proposed accommodation in a particular case that poses more than de minimis cost or burden on the employer. A requested work schedule change to accommodate religious practices can sometimes be a reasonable accommodation but not always. Reasonableness depends on the facts of the case and cannot be given a hard and fast meaning. Whether your requested work schedule accommodation would be deemed reasonable depends on the details of your particular situation.

My understanding is that the Civil Rights Act requires employers with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations for the religious observances of employees.  Unless it causes the employer “undue hardship”—in which case he need not do so.

My first question would be, did you know about the policy when you became employed? Most sabbath observers tell the potential employer at the time that they may be hired.  If you did and the employer accepted your limitation, what changed? This is a specialized area of the law.  I would start with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Federal civil rights laws, including religious discrimination,  are enforced by the EEOC.
As mentioned in an earlier post, if your employer has less than 15 employees than they are not subject to those laws.  However, each state also has civil rights laws.  In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission enforces violation by employers of state civil rights laws.  Employers with four or more employees are subject to Pennsylvania civil rights laws.  Both the EEOC and PHRC have websites that offer useful information on the actions that constitute religious discrimination.  

Sorry, I am not, I am not able to give legal advice at the moment, but you can get your question answered by calling the Ministry of Labor at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. Hope this was helpful.

Renee

A variety of attorneys have presented questions and answers to your inquiry . My advice is for you to seek counsel from a competent law firm which practices in the field of employment rights and employment discrimination issues . I’m sure you can find the answer by seeking competent counsel 

I am a process server.  NOT a lawyer.  Thus cannot answer the question about your rights.  You may wish to try an employment  lawyer.  I know a very good one in Tampa, Bradley Tobin from THE TOBIN LAW GROUP. 
https://tobinlawgroup.com/

Hi, I am an attorney who is both professionally and personally aware of Sabbath keeping restrictions and their imposition on employment and life in general.  Please message me privately and we can discuss it further.  Thank you.  

yes , freedom of religion should not be infringed . problem    need to find  all your  available services &  prep paper with pastor /rabbi to attend with you , if you do not believe in working on sabbath . plus need to prove you cerlebrate sabbath on Saturday or sunday. . it is expensive to intom federal court . if I was infringed I would contact jay sekolow  in Washington dc. hes a 1980 Mercer school of law grad , & advises the POUS.