Chapter 3 – Personnel, Training, and Employee Relations

31010.8 Religious Accommodation

• The need for religious accommodation may arise when an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, or practices conflict with a requirement or an essential function of the employee’s work. If a conflict exists between an employee’s religious beliefs, observances, or practices and the employee’s work requirements or essential functions, that employee may request a religious accommodation. An employee who seeks a religious accommodation shall make the employer aware of the need for an accommodation.

• The employer shall consider a request for an accommodation that eliminates the conflict between the employee’s religious beliefs, observances, or practices and the employee’s work requirements or essential functions.

• An accommodation includes, but it is not limited to, adjustment to the work environment that when reasonable, eliminates a conflict between an employee’s religious beliefs, observances, or practices, and the employee’s work requirements and essential functions.

• Under the Government Code, section 12926, subdivision (u), an undue hardship is an action requiring significant difficulty or expense. An undue hardship may exist if the requested accommodation creates safety or security risks, conflicts with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOUMemorandum Of Understanding), or conflicts with state or federal laws.

• Request for Religious Accommodation

  • An employee in need of a religious accommodation shall make a request and cooperate in good faith with their supervisor, manager, Assistant EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator, EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator, or hiring authority to provide the necessary information to process the request. The request for religious accommodation should be submitted by an employee in writing, on a CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Form 2273, Request for Religious Accommodation, or verbally.

  • The CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Form 2273 shall state the specific religious belief, observance, or practice in conflict with specific work requirements or essential functions; it shall explain how the religious belief, observance, or practice conflicts with specific work requirements or essential functions; and it shall state the specific accommodation requested, and explain how the requested accommodation resolves the conflict between the employee’s religious belief, observance, or practice and the employee’s work requirements or essential functions. This may also include providing the appropriate and verifiable information from a religious leader within the employee’s religious group.

  • Upon receipt of a CDCRCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Form 2273, it shall be forwarded to the Assistant EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator or EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator within two working days. A verbal request for religious accommodation shall be documented in writing by the person receiving the request and delivered to the Assistant EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator or EEOEqual Employment Opportunity Office (see Office of Internal Affairs) Coordinator within 2 working days. The employee shall make a request for religious accommodation at least 15 calendar days prior to the requested accommodation. Failure to submit the request 15 calendar days prior to the requested accommodation may delay the processing of the request for accommodation.