Dear Supporter Ji,
As we all continue grappling with the pandemic, the Sikh Coalition has persevered in our core work to provide free legal aid and combat discrimination. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has seen a disturbing trend affecting our community and legal work: a significant increase in religious discrimination in the workplace. Thanks to previous contributions by the sangat, however, we have been able to continue advocating for Sikhs and other minority groups this year–from litigating individual cases to submitting formal policy recommendations.
Sikhs working in one field in particular are at an increased risk. Since March 2020, the Sikh Coalition has received multiple requests for free legal assistance from frontline healthcare workers seeking alternative PPE (personal protective equipment) that works with their articles of faith, including their facial hair and turbans. These healthcare workers include physicians, medical and dental students, paramedics, occupational therapists, and hospital support staff. In addition to providing them with the legal help they need to secure accommodations, we’ve taken steps to fix this problem at a systemic level:
As the Legal Director for the Sikh Coalition, I testified before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in April to bring these emerging issues to light. I discussed the increasing discrimination that Sikh Americans have had to endure in the workplace and stressed that it was vital for the EEOC to acknowledge this harm in order to effectively hold employers accountable. In response to this testimony, the Sikh Coalition was asked by the EEOC, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and other organizations to provide seminars and training specific to religious discrimination in the workplace — proving that our voice and advocacy can leave an impression that results in actionable plans. Since then, we’ve continued submitting policy recommendations to various federal and state agencies with the goal of ensuring our community’s needs are acknowledged.
The Sikh community is not new to workplace discrimination. While the public health challenges of the pandemic are ongoing, the legal obligation of employers to keep their employees safe while respecting religious rights has not changed: No one should be forced to make a false choice between their faith or profession. Luckily, we have the resources to help these individuals and communities combat the discrimination they suffered. And now, as we continue meeting our community’s challenges, your donation can help us continue providing free and confidential legal assistance to Sikhs, and continue pushing for change that will benefit so many other frontline healthcare workers.
Chardi Kala,
Amrith Kaur Aakre
Legal Director
The Sikh Coalition