Tampa Bay Delivery Service to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

TAMPA – Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC, an Amazon delivery service provider in the Tampa Bay area, will pay $50,000 and furnish other relief to settle a religious discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the employee requested to take off Sundays to attend church services. When Tampa Bay Delivery Service scheduled the employee for a Sunday shift, the employee reminded the dispatcher that he could not work on Sundays due to his religion. He was terminated when he failed to show up for the Sunday shift.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on religion and requires employers to reasonably accommodate an applicant’s or employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs unless it would pose an undue hardship. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division (EEOC v. Tampa Bay Delivery Service, LLC, Civil Action No. 8:21-cv-02302), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The two-and-one-half-year consent decree resolving the EEOC’s lawsuit has been approved by the federal court. In addition to paying $50,000 in monetary relief, Tampa Bay Delivery Service will provide training on religious discrimination to ensure that managers and dispatchers are aware of their obligations to prevent workplace discrimination and how to address accommodation requests. The decree also requires Tampa Bay Delivery Service to designate a religious accommodation coordinator and post a notice.

“We commend Tampa Bay Delivery Service for working collaboratively with EEOC to resolve this lawsuit,” said Robert E. Weisberg, regional attorney for the EEOC Miami District. “The company’s willingness to address EEOC’s concerns will help in preventing future employees from being forced to choose between employment and a religious belief.”

 “We encourage other employers to follow Tampa Bay Delivery Service’s lead and review their religious accommodation policies and practices to ensure that workers are not denied opportunities due to their religious beliefs.” added Evangeline Hawthorne, director of the EEOC’s Tampa Field Office.

The Miami District Office’s jurisdiction includes Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.  Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.