Protecting Religious Observances in the Workplace: Passover & Eid al-Fitr

Can I Take Time Off for Holidays Like Eid and Passover?

Your immediate answer is yes! You are legally allowed to take holiday time off for Eid and Passover during the calendar year. For Jewish employees observing Passover and Muslim employees marking Eid al-Fitr, understanding your rights is the first step toward ensuring your choice is valued.

Legal Protections for Religious Observances

Federal law is clear. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to make reasonable religious accommodations for employees whose sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances conflict with a work requirement, unless providing the accommodation would create an undue hardship for the employer. A religious accommodation is an adjustment to a certain work requirement that will allow the employee to comply with their religious beliefs, which need not be confined to standard definitions of religion. The law aims to prevent individuals from being forced to choose between their religious convictions and their job.

Religious accommodations in the workplace can take many forms. Examples of common religious accommodations include changes to: work schedules, policies, grooming policies, dress codes, and standard shifts. Importantly, an employee seeking a religious accommodation simply needs to make their employer aware of the need — no formal written request or “magic words” are required.

New York employees enjoy even broader protections under state and city law. If your employer has denied your request for time off, changed your schedule in retaliation, or treated you differently because of your Jewish or Islamic holidays, you may be experiencing religious discrimination in the workplace. Consulting a New York religious discrimination lawyer is a critical step in evaluating your options.

Passover in 2026

Passover (Pesach) is the Jewish spring festival celebrating freedom and family, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Passover 2026 began before sundown on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, and ended after nightfall on April 9, 2026. The Seder feast is held on the first two nights of Passover. Typically speaking, Passover is celebrated for seven or eight days depending on the family’s custom. On the fifteenth night of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, Jews gather with family and friends to read from a book known as the Haggadah, and recite prayers, poems and rituals that retell the events of the Exodus, in order to pass down a story that is central to Jewish life to this day. Jewish employees may need time off for the first two days and the final two days of the holiday, when religious work restrictions apply.

Eid al-Fitr 2026

Eid al-Fitr is one of the most significant Islamic holidays, marking the joyful conclusion of Ramadan — the holy month of fasting. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and is considered Allah’s reward for believers who fasted during this sacred time. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar-based, Eid al-Fitr generally falls in the spring in recent years, but its exact date shifts annually. In 2026, Eid al-Fitr was celebrated on Friday, March 20, 2026, subject to the sighting of the Shawwal moon. Because the holiday is celebrated by Muslims all around the world, Eid Prayer is a reliable outlet for everyone to come together. They start their days with Prayer, greet each other with ‘Eid Mubarak’, and then spend the day with loved ones indulging in gifts and delicious feasts shared amongst all. Employees may request time off for Eid prayers and celebration, and employers are legally obligated to engage in a good-faith effort to accommodate that request.

Can I Sue for Religious Discrimination?

If you feel you have been discriminated against for trying to observe your religious beliefs, you can sue for recompense. Under the federal and state legal protections, you are entitled to have the right to practice your religious within reasonable accommodations. If you feel you have experienced discrimination for your faith, you should take the following steps:

• Contact a Skilled Discrimination Lawyer: each case is different, but a religious discrimination lawyer can explain if you have a case or if your rights have not been impinged. They can explain your options and help you start your claim.
• Keep Evidence & File a Complaint: you need to be able to prove your case, so keep track of anything that may help your claim. Use internal processes to help document and track any instances of discrimination.
• Watch out for Legal Deadlines: there are windows that can close off your chance to recover damages, known as statutes of limitations. If you miss your deadline, you may not receive as much compensation as you can, or you lose the chance entirely.

How do I Prove Religious Discrimination?

If your employer refused a reasonable accommodation, penalized you for observing religious holidays, or treated non-religious employees more favorably, you may have a claim for religious discrimination. Proving discrimination typically involves documenting the accommodation request, the employer’s response, and any disparate treatment compared to similarly situated coworkers. Keeping written records — including emails and HR communications — can be essential to building your case.

Call a New York Employment Law Attorney Now

We at Filippatos PLLC stand in proud solidarity with any and all workers facing discrimination in the workplace, including diverse communities. If you are experiencing discrimination at work, please give us a call at 888-9-JOBLAW for a free consultation. We will do our utmost to help secure you the justice you deserve.