September 28, 2026
When Social Media, Religion and the Workplace Collide
In July of last year, the EEOC filed a lawsuit claiming an employer engaged in unlawful employment practices on the basis of religion. What did the EEOC claim the employer did that was unlawful?
On a personal social media account, the employee, who was Christian, frequently posted religious messages, including quotes from scripture and Bible verses. A manager met with the employee and told the employee that some of the social media posts were discriminatory to gay people and asked him to refrain from posting discriminatory statements.
On all posts, the employee used his own social media account, his personal time, and never identified himself as an employee of the company. After the employee posted another Bible verse on his personal social media the employer fired him. During his employment, the employee had been promoted, received no written discipline for his performance, and did receive bonuses for satisfactory performance and commendations for outstanding customer service and hard work.
Neither the lawsuit nor the EEOC’s website describe the language from any of the posts. So, what was the outcome? On September 28th, the EEOC announced the company agreed to pay $20,000 and be subject to two years of monitoring by the EEOC to settle the matter.
Take away? Employees’ off duty conduct can creep into the workplace and create a hostile work environment. Approach these situations with caution. In this case, the EEOC noted that the employer “received no complaints from customers, vendors, or employees.” With no evidence of the employee’s off-duty conduct adversely impacting business operations or employee relations, you may want to talk to your company’s legal counsel before taking an adverse employment action. Doing so may have unintended consequences.
