In a religious discrimination case, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission has announced a judgment of $1.3 million against communications giant AT&T. The Arkansas case was brought by the EEOC on behalf of two customer service reps who were suspended and fired after attending a Jehovah’s Witness convention. Both men had requested a day of leave to attend the convention, something they had done annually.

While you aren’t likely to find yourself in a million dollar religious discrimination lawsuit, the case serves as a reminder to ensure that managers understand the surrounding issues and that appropriate policies and procedures are in place to prevent any such discrimination.   Increasing workforce diversity makes this increasingly important.  In fact, the number of religious discrimination charges filed with the EEOC has risen significantly in recent years.