Apple will pay $150,000 to a former employee as part of a settlement in a lawsuit involving allegations of religious discrimination.
The proceedings began following a lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the settlement does not include an admission of liability by the company.
According to court documents and a Reuters report, the lawsuit was filed last September on behalf of Tyler Steele, who worked at an Apple Store in Virginia. The EEOC alleged that Steele was fired because of his religion and in retaliation for complaints he made regarding religious discrimination in the workplace.
According to the lawsuit, Steele consistently received positive performance reviews throughout his employment. The commission alleged that after converting to Judaism, he requested adjustments to his work schedule so that he could observe Shabbat and refrain from working on Fridays and Saturdays, and was subsequently fired.
Under the settlement, Apple will pay Steele the full amount within 30 days of the consent decree taking effect. Of the $150,000, $80,000 will be classified as back pay and will be subject to deductions and payroll taxes, while an additional $70,000 will be classified as damages and interest.
The agreement is not limited to compensation for the former employee. Apple also committed to providing training on religious discrimination and religious accommodations for certain employees in its relevant retail operations in Northern Virginia.