Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005

The Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2005 (S. 677) sought to strengthen federal protections for employees who need workplace accommodations for their religious beliefs and practices. The bill would have required employers to make an "affirmative and bona fide effort" to accommodate requests, such as observing a Sabbath, wearing religious clothing, or grooming according to faith traditions.

Under this legislation, an employer could only deny such a request if they could prove it caused a significant difficulty or expense, raising the legal standard for what constitutes an "undue hardship" on a business. For everyday citizens, this would have meant greater job security when balancing religious obligations with work requirements, ensuring that practices like taking time off for holy days or wearing a hijab or turban are protected as long as the employee can still perform the essential functions of their job.