Reading Room Document

Religious Objections to the Postal Service Oath of Office

Section 1011 of title 39 of the United States Code specifies an oath of office that all Postal Service officers and employees must take. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not require the Postal Service to depart from the dictates of section 1011 in order to accommodate (beyond what is required by section 1011) prospective employees who raise bona fide religious objections to taking this oath. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not require any further accommodation in response to three common objections to taking this oath. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/op-olc-v029-p0037pdf/download.

February 2, 2005