BRILLION, WI (WTAQ) – Muslim workers at a business in Calumet County say they’re out of a job.
The 53 employees say the new prayer-on-the-job policy at Ariens Manufacturing will force them to leave.
Before the new policy went into effect, the Somali Muslims were able to leave the production line twice-a-shift to pray two of the five prayers their faith requires each day.
The company says it is asking them to pray during scheduled breaks because its manufacturing environment doesn’t allow for unscheduled stops.
The workers say praying only during a meal break goes against Muslim practice.
According to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), “an employer doesn’t have to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs if doing so would cause hardship to the employer.”
“We are open to any of the employees returning to work under the new policy or will look for openings in shifts that do not coincide with prayer time,” according to a statement from Ariens provided to WBAY-TV in Green Bay. “We respect their faith, and we respect their decision regardless of their choice to return to work or not.”
Ten of those workers, according to Ariens, have indicated they want to stay in their current jobs under the new policy.
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(Additional reporting from Wheeler News Service)
