NEW YORK — Retail giant Sears, Roebuck and Co. agreed to a settlement which will allow repair workers to observe a Sabbath if required by their religion.
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who had threatened to sue Sears over the issue, said the company also agreed to pay $225,000 for employer education programs, $120,000 in training scholarships for Sabbath observers and $100,000 to cover the cost of his investigation.
A spokesperson for Sears said the company “is pleased we were able to reach a satisfactory settlement.” Sears admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, which appears to apply only to workers in New York State.
The case began after Kalman Katz, an Orthodox Jew, claimed Sears refused to hire him because he wouldn’t work Saturdays. At least five other people came forward with similar complaints, including Donovan Reed, a recently converted Seventh-day Adventist who was fired after telling Sears he needed to begin taking Saturdays off.
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