A Washington-based staffing and recruiting agency is paying $217,500 after failing to hire a Muslim job applicant after he asked about a religious accommodation to attend Friday prayer.
The company, Logic Staffing, also agreed to provide other relief, resolving a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
According to an EEOC lawsuit, Logic Staffing invited the applicant to interview at its Kent, Washington, headquarters after he submitted an online application. A supervisor started to explore available openings when the applicant disclosed a possible need for a longer mid-day break to attend Friday prayer. Although the applicant said he would not need additional time if his workplace was close to a mosque, the supervisor ended the interview and noted that the applicant was not hired due to his schedule and need to attend Friday prayer, according to the EEOC.
The agency also alleged that Logic Staffing disqualified the applicant from future employment after he sought confirmation that he was not hired because of his request for a religious accommodation.
Federal law requires staffing agencies, as well as employers and unions, to explore workplace accommodations that allow workers to practice their faith.
The company’s alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed its lawsuit (EEOC v. Logic Staffing LLC, No. 2:24-cv-01557-BJR), in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to monetary fines, under the four-year consent decree that resolves the EEOC’s lawsuit, the company must work with a third-party consultant to review and revise its policies and procedures concerning religious discrimination, accommodation and retaliation. The company must also train managers, supervisors, hiring coordinators, recruiters and human resources personnel on the revised policies and procedures.
The EEOC’s Seattle Field Office has jurisdiction over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
Topics Lawsuits Washington
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