BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — P.F. Chang’s China Bistro has agreed to pay $80,000 and overhaul its employment practices at its Birmingham restaurant to settle a federal religious discrimination charge brought by a job applicant who said he was denied work after asking for Sundays off for religious observance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced this week.
According to the EEOC, the incident occurred in August 2024 when the applicant requested Sundays off during a job interview at P.F. Chang’s Birmingham location. The request, made on religious grounds, led to the applicant’s rejection, with the EEOC’s investigation concluding that the restaurant’s decision directly violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which requires reasonable accommodations for employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs unless it causes undue hardship.
Beyond the $80,000 payout to the applicant for back pay and damages, the settlement mandates that P.F. Chang’s update its policies to explicitly address religious accommodations and require all Birmingham staff, managers, supervisors, and human resources personnel to undergo training related to equal employment opportunity rights and religious observances. The company will also post notices alerting workers to their rights under federal law.
EEOC Birmingham District Director Bradley Anderson said in a statement that the outcome should remind employers to properly train staff to recognize and handle religious accommodation requests as required by law.
Founded in 1993, P.F. Chang’s operates more than 200 United States restaurants and has over 300 locations worldwide.