We’re in the midst of the “Holiday Season” in the United States! Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Hanukkah, and others, it’s a great time to enjoy time with friends and family, celebration, and religious observances.
It is NOT time for comparing your religious holidays with those of others! It is NOT time to discount the importance of or to insult the holidays of another religious tradition.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids an employer from discriminating against a member of a religious group in any aspect of employment - hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.
Your employer CANNOT harass you because of your religion. Mockery and hostility toward you because of your sincerely held religious beliefs is illegal.
Your employer is also required to make reasonable accommodations for your religious observances. These instances can be hard because it requires that your employer make a reasonable accommodation for your religious occasions (Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Diwali, and others) or other observances, but not if it would impose an undue hardship on your employer. A lot of things go into this balancing test.
If you’re concerned about religious discrimination in the workplace, talk to a lawyer before you talk to your employer. Starting the discussion without understanding the legal implications can cause a problem down the road.