Philadelphia Inquirer, “When an employee requests a religious accommodation, here’s what employers should do,” quotes Katharine Fogarty, Esq., 9-24-2026

Kaufman Dolowich’s Katharine W. Fogarty, Philadelphia Partner, was quoted in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article addressing how employers should handle employee requests for religious accommodations, including the importance of evaluating requests individually, presuming sincerity and documenting the accommodation process.

Employers should look at each employee and situation individually, Ms. Fogarty noted in the article. “It’s important to go back and look at your policies to ensure that they comply, and that you don’t just have a blanket policy that won’t allow for any sort of accommodations,” she said, adding that when a specific accommodation can’t be made “that doesn’t mean that we just say no and shut down the process.”

She explained, that as business owners, “we’re not religious experts.” It’s important to presume that your employee is being sincere in their request and that their religious belief is genuine, she said, noting that, “the fact that a belief may be unfamiliar, uncommon, or not formally recognized even by a religious organization does not mean it’s not protected.”