[1]WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) – A recent memo by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) further expands religious liberty protections for federal employees.
A press release said the memo [2] “provides clear guidance” toward employees’ rights in expressing religious beliefs “through prayer, personal items, group gatherings and conversations without fear of discrimination or retaliation.” It also urges agencies to review internal policies in accordance with “the Trump Administration’s broader commitment to restoring religious liberty in government institutions.”
The memo follows another issued on July 16 [3] that cites Groff v. DeJoy. In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling raised the standard of “undue hardship” as it pertains to an employer’s reason for denying a religious accommodation. The July 16 declaration also points to presidential memorandums issued in January and February that instructed agencies to return to in-person work, but with guidance.
Religious accommodations, said the July 16 memo, should receive a “generous approach” from agency heads to prioritize “employee needs while maintaining operational efficiency.”
The developments affirm that the workplace shouldn’t be a place where Americans are forced “to check their faith at the door,” said Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Michael Ross.
“We’re grateful for President Trump’s leadership in reaffirming every federal employee’s right to exercise their religious beliefs at work to the fullest extent permitted by law,” he said. “This is a critical step in restoring a workplace culture that respects and promotes religious freedom for every American.”
OPM Director Scott Kupor said the guidance is for Americans of all faiths.
“Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their career,” he said. “… Under President Trumpʼs leadership, we are restoring constitutional freedoms and making government a place where people of faith are respected, not sidelined.”
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