final rule Monday expanding the scope of contractors that may claim a religious exemption from employment nondiscrimination policies, which ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, along with many other characteristics.
The rule was previously understood to apply only to faith-based nonprofit organizations, allowing them to prefer to employ members of their faith, but the changes allow for-profit companies to claim the right to discriminate against those who do not follow the ownership’s religious tenets.In revising the rule, the DOL cites Supreme Court decisions such as Burwell v.