(A)
Policy statement
and purpose
To set out the university policy
governing the accommodation of religious observances by university employees
and students.
(B)
Policy
It is the policy of the university to
comply with the applicable provisions of state and federal law governing the
religious accommodation. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits
employers from discriminating on the basis of religion and requires that they
take steps to accommodate the religious practices and needs of their employees.
At BGSU, all employees, faculty, administrative and classified staff, are to be
granted a two-hour release time period to attend any religious service or to
meet a religious need that occurs during normal working hours. There may be no
loss of compensation, vacation or personal time for this period.
(1)
Religious
practice or need is defined broadly to include moral or ethical beliefs as to
what is right and wrong that are sincerely held by the individual person with
the strength of traditional religious views. Arrangements for a religious
practice must be made in advance with the employee's immediate supervisor. The
university will make good faith efforts to provide a reasonable accommodation
of an employee's sincerely held religious belief, unless the university
believes such an accommodation would create an undue hardship.
(2)
It is recognized
that in some instances religious observances occur on days that have not been
designated as legal holidays by state or federal law. Arrangements relative to
time off, such as rearranging a work schedule, are to be mutually agreed upon
by the employee and the immediate supervisor. If arrangements relative to the
exchange of time cannot be reasonably made without resulting in undue hardship,
the excess time the individual is excused must be taken as vacation, personal
leave, or leave without pay. Supervisors are encouraged to be flexible in the
application of this policy and to make reasonable accommodation unless such an
accommodation would clearly cause "undue hardship" in the conduct of university
business.
Date: January 1, 2014
Notes
Ohio Admin. Code
3341-5-22
Effective:
3/17/2015
Promulgated Under:
111.15
Statutory
Authority: 3345
Rule Amplifies:
3345
