It was against his religion but I can see why it's offensive. He's going against dress code. That's like me wearing a tshirt with big letters saying CHRISTIAN AND PROUD! but I wouldn't because someone may be offended. They're at work. Religion can stay off the clock.
shareThat's certainly your choice, but legally employers ARE required to make reasonable accommodations for an employee's religious beliefs, including modifications to dress or grooming and the adornment of religious symbols. Religion is a protected constitutional right under the 1st amendment, and that right follows an individual anywhere they go to any public setting, it's not limited to their homes or churches, citizens do not check their rights at the door when they go to work, they only have to check their life choices. Religion is the one life choice that is is protected because it is one of the most basic civil rights we have. Your Constitutional rights apply all the the time as long as the exercise of them does not violate the rights of others. It is not anyone's right to not be offended or to expect to never be reminded that their are people in the world whose beliefs are different than their own.
Per the EEOC:
Religious Discrimination & Reasonable Accommodation
The law requires an employer or other covered entity to reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices, unless doing so would cause more than a minimal burden on the operations of the employer's business. This means an employer may be required to make reasonable adjustments to the work environment that will allow an employee to practice his or her religion.
Examples of some common religious accommodations include flexible scheduling, voluntary shift substitutions or swaps, job reassignments, and modifications to workplace policies or practices.
Religious Accommodation/Dress & Grooming Policies
Unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer's operation of its business, an employer must reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices. This applies not only to schedule changes or leave for religious observances, but also to such things as DRESS AND GROOMING PRACTICES that an employee has for religious reasons. These might include, for example, wearing particular HEAD COVERINGS or other religious dress (such as a Jewish yarmulke or a Muslim headscarf), or wearing certain hairstyles or facial hair (such as Rastafarian dreadlocks or Sikh uncut hair and beard). It also includes an employee's observance of a religious prohibition against wearing certain garments (such as pants or miniskirts).
When an employee or applicant needs a dress or grooming accommodation for religious reasons, he should notify the employer that he needs such an accommodation for religious reasons. If the employer reasonably needs more information, the employer and the employee should engage in an interactive process to discuss the request. If it would not pose an undue hardship,THE EMPLOYER MUST GRANT THE ACCOMMODATION.
Religious Discrimination & Reasonable Accommodation & Undue Hardship
An employer does not have to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices if doing so would cause undue hardship to the employer. An accommodation may cause undue hardship if it is costly, compromises workplace safety, decreases workplace efficiency, infringes on the rights of other employees, or requires other employees to do more than their share of potentially hazardous or burdensome work."
www.eeoc.gov