A former letter carrier for the United States Postal Service asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to declare he must not have to choose between worshiping God on Sunday and earning a paycheck.
Should the high court rule in favor of Gerald Groff, who quit rather than work on Sunday, the decision would reverse a 46-year-old decision saying employers could be required to provide accommodations only so long as no “undue hardship” was placed on that employer.
Mr. Groff went to work for the USPS in 2012 but left seven years later after the quasi-governmental corporation began requiring him to work Sundays delivering packages for Amazon, and the USPS failed to accommodate his request not to work on that day. He said the Fourth Commandment found in Exodus 20:8 — “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” — would not let him work Sundays.
The carrier claims he endured “harsh treatment” for his religious beliefs, suffering “two years of progressive discipline, hostile working conditions” and uncertainty over whether he would be terminated any day he showed up for work. He resigned in January 2019 but subsequently sued to get his job back and accommodation for his beliefs.