Can we require women to wear pants? 04-16-2008

We have an informal policy requiring women to wear pants. Today I interviewed a woman for a job who said she is Pentacostal and only wears skirts. Can we require her to wear pants or refuse to hire her if she insists on wearing skirts?

Rita Risser replies:

If the company has 15 or more employees, it is required under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees. If there is a safety reason why pants are required, then she could be required to wear pants or not be hired, but if there is not some legitimate business reason like that, then she must be accommodated and allowed to wear skirts. If it is a smaller company, state law may still require accommodation.

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.