California carrier to pay driver $60K after EEOC sues over Sunday shifts

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced on September 25 that Blue Eagle Contracting, Inc., a California-based U.S. Postal Service contractor, will pay a former truck driver $60,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit.

The EEOC had sued earlier this year, accusing the company of failing to accommodate a Christian driver's sincerely held beliefs. The driver normally ran a weekday shift between Reno and Tonopah, Nevada, but volunteered to cover a Sunday shift after another driver suddenly resigned. He told supervisors the Sunday work was only on an emergency basis until a replacement was hired — but the company kept requiring him to work Sunday mornings until he resigned, costing him his church attendance.

The EEOC alleged a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to accommodate religious beliefs and practices absent undue hardship. Beyond the money, Blue Eagle must review and revise its religious accommodation policies, train managers and employees, and submit periodic reports to the EEOC. "Employers must take religious accommodation requests seriously and grant them unless doing so would impose an undue hardship," said Christopher Green, director of the EEOC's San Francisco District.

Why it matters

This settlement is a reminder that drivers have federal rights beyond the road — including the right to ask for schedule accommodations for religious observance. If a carrier forces you onto a shift that conflicts with your faith and refuses to work with you, the EEOC takes those complaints seriously. Know your rights, put requests in writing, and keep copies.