Leave Usage for Religious Observances

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Policy Number:
UW-5061
Old Policy Number:
16.13
Responsible Office:
Office of Human Resources

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Employees represent many different religions and the University seeks to be sensitive to individual needs by balancing work requirements and the exercise of religious beliefs. The University environment is enriched by the religious diversity of its faculty, staff, and students. For this reason, the university establishes this policy to support all University Staff, Academic Staff, Faculty, or Limited appointees in requesting accommodations for religious observances.

Definitions:
Reasonable Accommodation
A reasonable accommodation is a change to the terms or conditions of employment that eliminates the conflict between employment requirements and the religious practices of the employee. Religious or creed accommodations frequently involve schedule changes to allow religious observance or changes to a workplace dress code. Employees do not lose their rights to reasonable accommodations of their religious beliefs if they temporarily tolerate a schedule or dress requirement. More information is available at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Religion
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 defines “religion” to include “all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief,” not just practices that are mandated or prohibited by a tenet of the individual’s faith. More information can be found in EEOC's Section 12: Religious Discrimination.
Undue Hardship
Any proposed religious observance accommodation that poses more than minimal costs on the employer's program, enterprise, or business. 
Scope:

University Staff, Academic Staff, Faculty, or Limited appointees.  

 

Policy:
  1. If an employee would like time off for a religious observance, they should ask their supervisor or department chairperson. Approval must be granted unless the absence will create an undue hardship for the unit.
  2. An employee’s claim of a religious conflict with their employment should be accepted at face value.  A great variety of valid claims exist for religious groups, and there is no practical, dignified, and legal means to assess the validity of individual claims. Information about the University’s religious observances can be found at: UW-880 Religious Observances (Academic). Other reference material regarding religious holidays can be found in the External Reference section below. 
  3. The employee must use vacation, floating holiday, personal holiday hours, or make other arrangements with their supervisor or divisional Human Resources.
  4.  Academic religious observances should follow the process described the Secretary of the Faculty Academic Calendar and the Religious and Elections Day Memorandum. 
  5.  Supervisors, managers and divisional Human Resource personnel must consult with the Office of Human Resources-Workforce Relations prior to denying any religious observance request.  
Related UW-Madison Policies:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Policy Manager:
Associate Vice Chancellor/Chief Human Resources Officer
Contact:
Employment Relations Director -- Megan Dzyuba, wr@ohr.wisc.edu, (608) 890-3663
Date Issued:
06-24-2015
Revised Dates:

04-05-2019, 10-20-2022

Retrieved:
10-06-2024 00:16:29