Cal. Civ. Code § 955.1
Religious Observance; Public Employes
Operative Text
(a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any officer, agency or department of the State or any of its political subdivisions, to prohibit, prevent or disqualify any person from, or otherwise to discriminate against any person in, obtaining or holding employment by the State or by any such subdivision, because of such person's observance of any particular day or days or any portion thereof as a sabbath or other holy day in accordance with the requirements of the person's religion. (b) Except as may be required in an emergency or where personal presence is indispensable to the orderly transaction of public business, no person employed by the State or any of its political subdivisions shall be required to remain at the place of employment during any day or days or portion thereof that, as a religious requirement, the person observes as the sabbath or other holy day, including a reasonable time prior and subsequent thereto for travel between the place of employment and home, provided however, that any such absence from work shall, wherever practicable in the judgment of the employer, be made up by an equivalent amount of time and work at some other mutually convenient time, or shall be charged against any leave with pay ordinarily granted, other than sick leave, provided further, however, that any such absence not so made up or charged, may be treated by the employer of such person as leave taken without pay. (c) This section shall not be construed to apply to any position dealing with the public health or safety where the person holding such position must be available for duty whenever needed, or to any position or class of positions the nature and quality of the duties of which are such that the personal presence of the holder of such position is regularly essential on any particular day or days or portion thereof for the normal performance of such duties with respect to any applicant therefor or holder thereof who, as a religious requirement, observes such day or days or portion thereof as the sabbath or other holy day.
Under 43 P.S. § 955.1, Pennsylvania state and local government agencies are prohibited from discriminating against employees or job applicants because they observe a sabbath or religious holy day. Public employees generally cannot be compelled to remain at work during their religiously observed days off, though the employer may require the time to be made up, charged against available paid leave (other than sick leave), or treated as unpaid leave if neither option is practicable. The rule does not extend to positions where personal presence is regularly essential on specific days or where public health and safety demands continuous availability.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Although 43 P.S. § 955.1 is directed at government employers rather than private landlords, public-sector property managers or housing agency personnel should be aware that this provision governs how their agencies treat employees who observe religious holy days. Compliant government employers typically document accommodation requests, explore make-up scheduling options before defaulting to unpaid leave, and avoid using religious observance as a factor in hiring or retention decisions. Agencies overseeing public housing operations should ensure that their internal HR policies reflect the requirements of § 955.1 to avoid unlawful discriminatory practices.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who work for Pennsylvania state or local government agencies may find 43 P.S. § 955.1 relevant if they face employment-related religious discrimination in a public-sector context, though the provision governs employment rather than tenancy directly. If a public employee believes their employer has violated § 955.1 by penalizing them for religious observance, general enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission or consulting a tenant- and worker-rights organization for guidance. Understanding the scope and exceptions outlined in § 955.1—particularly the carve-outs for public health and safety roles—can help individuals assess whether their situation falls within the provision's protections.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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