Supreme Court Issues Unanimous Decision in Key Religious Freedom Case

In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of a Pennsylvania postal worker, marking a major shift in how employers must handle requests for religious accommodations. The case involved Gerald Groff, a Christian mail carrier who said the U.S. Postal Service violated his rights by requiring him to deliver packages on Sundays, a day he observes as the Sabbath.

For nearly five decades, employers relied on a 1977 Supreme Court precedent, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, which allowed businesses to deny religious accommodations if they created more than a “de minimis” cost. In a 9-0 decision, the justices agreed that this standard set the bar far too low. The Court clarified that employers must provide accommodations unless doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” or an undue hardship on the business.