DATE
EMPLOYER NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE
RE: (YOUR NAME):
Dear (NAME),
As a member in good standing and in regular attendance at the (YOUR CHURCH NAME), I observe the seventh-day of the week as the Sabbath as taught by the church in harmony with the Old and New Testament teachings of the Bible.
(WHEN APPLICABLE: I have worked for this company for _______ years and have been granted Sabbath off. I respectfully request that this type of accommodation by continued, and that I not be required to work Saturday because of an arbitrary work rule.) I do not request to have the Sabbath off in order to have an extra day at home, to catch up on odd jobs or to engage in recreation or amusements. Secular activities—shopping, sports, employment, and entertainment—are laid aside. The Sabbath is sacred to me and I devote these hours to God.
It would be a violation of my deeply held, sincere religious convictions to work on the Sabbath, which begins at sundown Friday night and ends at sundown Saturday. I therefore respectfully request that you make an accommodation for my religious beliefs, observances, and practice in harmony with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has excellent regulations and a compliance manual with lots of information and suggestions for how someone, like myself, can be accommodated. These may prove helpful to consult. Scheduling accommodations may involve:
1. Change employee to a shift or department that does not operate on Friday night or Saturday.
2. Swap shifts with another employee.
3. Work on Sunday or holidays in place of Saturday.
4. Work a flexible schedule so that the employee can leave the job on Friday afternoon ___ minutes before sundown.
5. Make a temporary accommodation while a permanent one is being arranged.
I will be glad to discuss this further with you in person.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
cc: Alan J. Reinach, Esq.
Executive Director and General Counsel
Church State Council