P.F. Chang’s to Pay $80,000 for Religious Discrimination

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc., a nationwide restaurant operator, agreed to pay $80,000 to a job applicant who alleged he was not hired because of his request for a religious accommodation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

According to the EEOC’s charge investigation, during the interview process in August 2024 with the P.F. Chang’s location in Birmingham, the applicant requested Sundays off because of his religious beliefs. The EEOC’s investigation concluded he was not hired because of the accommodation request.

Following the EEOC’s investigation, the parties engaged in the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, resulting in a settlement requiring P.F. Chang’s to provide back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and revise written policies and procedures about religious accommodations. The restaurant also agreed to require training for its Birmingham employees, supervisors, managers, and human resources personnel on equal employment opportunity rights and responsibilities, with an emphasis on religious accommodations. In addition, the employer agreed to post a notice regarding the resolution of this matter and the laws enforced by the EEOC.

“We commend P.F. Chang’s for their commitment to ensuring that their restaurants make reasonable efforts to accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs,” said Bradley Anderson, director of the EEOC’s Birmingham District Office. “This case should serve as a reminder for employers to train supervisors and representatives to recognize requests for religious accommodations. It is important all employers understand that federal law requires reasonable religious accommodations, unless such an accommodation would pose an undue hardship substantial to the overall context of the business.”

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination because of an individual’s religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious observance or practice unless doing so would cause undue hardship.

For more information on religious discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

The EEOC’s Birmingham District Office has jurisdiction over Alabama, Mississippi (except 17 northern counties) and the Florida Panhandle.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.