Trump administrator reaffirms the commitment to religious freedom with new advice to agency leaders

During his first week as head of the US office for managing President Donald Trump (OPM), Scott Kupor published new directives to executive agency directors repressing religious discrimination in the federal workforce.

The memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, encourages the use of telework, flexible hours and leave options to meet “reasonable” religious needs while retaining efficient agency operations.

The new councils instructs the heads and heads of interim organizations and departments that they must make certain religious housing for workers, such as the abstention of work during specific periods or participation in observances or religious practices.

Kupor cited title VII of the 1964 civil rights law and the decision of the Supreme Court of 2022, Groff c. Dejoy, who he said said that employers are required to demonstrate substantial increased costs to refuse a reasonable religious housing request.

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He wrote that agencies are encouraged to “adopt a generous approach to approve religious adaptations, prioritize the needs of employees while maintaining operational efficiency”.

“In addition, federal agencies must adhere to the requirements of title VII and the clarification of Groff of the standard of” excessive difficulties “when fighting against requests for religious accommodation,” wrote Kupor.

He declared that religious adaptations could include telework, religious leave, flexible work hours and various other forms of paid and unpaid leave.

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Kupor cited an executive decree signed by Trump in May which made absolute priority to ensure that all executive agencies “honor and apply the guarantee of the constitution of religious freedom” and put an end to “any form of religious discrimination by the federal government”.

Trump wrote in the executive decree that “it will be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously apply the historical and robust protections for religious freedom consecrated in federal law”.

Kupor said that in addition to the President’s advice, “it is in the interest of the federal government to recruit and retain workers who are very qualified in faith”.

“Religious freedom is fundamental,” Kupor said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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“No federal employees should be forced to choose between their faith and their federal service,” he said. “These directives guarantee that agencies comply with their legal obligations and process these requests with the gravity they deserve.”

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In a press release sent to Fox News Digital, OPM said that “even if agencies impose work requirements in person”, this memo reaffirms that “reasonable religious adaptations are protected by title VII of the Civil Rights Act and must be provided in accordance with the law”.