Bill To Add Job Protections For California Sikhs, Muslims
SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) -- The state Assembly has approved a bill that would add more protections for religious freedom in the workplace, specifying that discrimination laws also apply to religious clothing and hairstyles.
Lawmakers on Tuesday approved AB1964 by Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada. The Davis Democrat said she was upset to learn that Sikh and Muslim workers continue to face discrimination at work despite laws prohibiting it.
Yamada's bill also would allow employees to carry religious objects and clarify that segregating an employee from other workers or the public because of their appearance is not an acceptable accommodation under the law.
She says some Sikh and Muslim workers have been "relegated to the back of the store" to keep their jobs. The bill passed on a 59-3 vote and moves to the Senate.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
