"Employers Must Accommodate Religious Beliefs," Says Washington Supreme Court

June 2014
Employment Law Notes
The Washington Supreme Court recently announced that the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs. The Court’s recent decision in Kumar v. Gate Gourmet, Inc. marked the first time Washington’s high court has directly considered whether the WLAD requires employers to make religious accommodations. The Court’s May 22, 2014 ruling is a significant change for employers because it overturned a 2012 court of appeals decision, which had held that the WLAD imposed no such duty.