ELECTROLUX AGREES TO MINN. MUSLIMS' RAMADAN RIGHTS

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) on August 6 announced that Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux has agreed to grant legally-mandated religious accommodation to Muslim employees at its St. Cloud, Minn., plant during the upcoming Ramadhan fast. In July, CAIR-MN assisted employees in filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaint against Electrolux after the company threatened Muslim workers with termination if they were caught breaking their Ramadhan fast on the production floor. Under the new agreement, the company will shift employees’ 30-minute break to coincide with sunset during the month of Ramadhan. This will allow the Muslim employees to break their fast immediately after sunset, pray their sunset prayer and eat their Ramadhan meal off the production floor. Additionally, all managers, supervisors, human resources personnel, and labour relations personnel at the St. Cloud plant will receive two hours of training on religious accommodation requirements under federal law. The EEOC will monitor compliance with the agreement for not less than three years.