{"id":1484,"date":"2019-01-16T11:00:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T16:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/eo\/?page_id=1484"},"modified":"2021-09-21T09:45:56","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T13:45:56","slug":"religious-observances-practices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/eo\/disability-access\/religious-observances-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious Observances & Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"
Our faculty, staff, and students are from varied religious and cultural backgrounds which serve to enrich and strengthen our community.\u00a0 Any event scheduled on a major religious or cultural holiday can send a message of insensitivity or exclusivity to staff and students who cannot participate that day due to their religious beliefs.\u00a0 Therefore, please avoid scheduling important meetings, exams, or other essential events on such dates whenever possible and to accommodate the observance of religious traditions for those staff and students who need to be absent for religious holidays throughout the year.\u00a0 Some information about major religious holidays may be found at the\u00a091±¬ΑΟ System Human Resources page<\/a>.\u00a0 An extensive listing is online at the\u00a0Interfaith Calendar web site<\/a>.<\/p>\n The university is required by state and federal law to make reasonable accommodations to the religious observances and practices of employees or prospective employees provided those accommodations do not result in an undue hardship.\u00a0 See, e.g.,\u00a041 C.F.R. \u00a76\u00ad-50.3<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0MHRC Ch. 94-348, \u00a7 3.10(C)(DOC)<\/a>. Such accommodations might include a schedule change for an employee who regularly observes a particular Sabbath or religious holidays and who is conscientiously opposed to performing work or engaging in similar activity on such days.\u00a0 The resolution of these issues depends on the particular factual circumstances and involves a delicate balancing of an applicant or employee\u2019s religious needs with the degree of disruption imposed on the institution.<\/p>\n If you are an employee and need a religious accommodation, please contact:<\/p>\n\u00a0ADA Coordinator<\/h3>\n