AUSTIN, TEXAS — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Hatch Trick Inc in federal court in Austin, Texas, in May 2024, alleging the company fired an employee for refusing to work on Saturdays in violation of her religious accommodation request. The lawsuit alleges the franchise operator of a Chick-fil-A location violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to provide reasonable religious accommodations.

The employee, a member of the United Church of God, observes the Sabbath on Saturday. During her initial August 2023 job interview, she requested not to be scheduled to work on Saturdays, and Hatch Trick Inc honored that request for a few months.

The employee managed delivery drivers at one of Hatch Trick Inc's Chick-fil-A locations in Austin. She was paid hourly and worked 45 to 50 hours per week, Monday through Friday, plus some additional Sunday hours.

In February 2024, Hatch Trick Inc required the employee to work on Saturdays despite her religious accommodation request. She proposed accommodations including having a driver cover the dispatch role on her day off and working only after sundown on Saturdays.

When she appealed to management, Hatch Trick told her she could not maintain her managerial role if she did not work on Saturdays, and that she would have to accept a delivery driver position that entailed lower pay, reduced benefits, and fewer hours. The company fired her when she refused to accept the delivery driver position.

"Religious discrimination in the workplace is unlawful, and employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees' sincerely held beliefs," EEOC San Antonio Field Office Director Norma Guzman said. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal agency set up to fight workplace discrimination.

Chick-fil-A closes on Sundays, giving employees time "to rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones or worship if they choose," according to the company. The Sabbath is the holy day of rest in the Christian faith, which most Christians observe on Sunday. Chick-fil-A declined a request for comment. In a statement, the company said, "It's important to know that, as a franchise business, all employment decisions are solely the responsibility of each individual restaurant owner."