British Jewish woman wins $25k in religious discrimination suit

(JTA) —A British Jewish woman won $25,000 in damages from a company that refused to hire her because she is Shabbat observant.

Aurelie Fhima applied to Travel Jigsaw in Manchester, but was rejected after she said at a job interview that her religious observance prevents her from working on Friday nights and Saturdays, the Telegraph reported.

Travel Jigsaw officials sent her a letter saying that they could not hire her, because “We are still looking for people who are flexible enough to work Saturdays.”

When the company refused to reconsider its decision, she sued for religious discrimination.

Fhima’s attorney told the Telegraph, “This case serves as an important reminder to employers of the obligations they have to job applicants – not just their employees. It also shows that many large employers still fail to understand the law surrounding discrimination.”