25 Muslim drivers working for Hertz at the Seattle Airport were fired back in October over a dispute regarding their use of break time for prayer. The group has now filed suit claiming religious discrimination.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in King County Superior Court claims Hertz Corp. terminated them after they refused to clock out for prayers. The lawsuit claims they had not been required to clock out previously and the rules were changed to target Somali Muslims.
Employees are allowed paid breaks for all kinds of activity, from smoking to personal phone calls. Why target prayer? Hertz argues that Muslim employees were taking too long to pray, and investigation into those facts will probably be a primary focus of the case. But taking a bigger picture view, was everyone's paid breaks watched, timed, scrutinized so closely? Or just the Muslims who want to exercise the requirements of their faith?
