P.F. Chang’s Will Pay Applicant $80K For Religious Discrimination

by Kandiss Edwards

September 17, 2025

An applicant filed a grievance with the EEOC after he was denied employment after asking for Sundays off.

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P.F. Chang’s, the massively popular pan-Asian restaurant chain, has agreed to pay $80,000 to settle a religious discrimination claim.

An applicant filed a grievance with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after he said that when he asked to have Sundays off due to his religious beliefs he was dismissed as a potential candidate.

The incident happened during an interview in August 2024 at the Birmingham, Alabama, location of the restaurant. The EEOC found that the applicant’s request led directly to the rejection of his application.

In addition to the monetary payment, the agreement mandates changes to P.F. Chang’s policies on religious accommodations. The company will also conduct training for its staff, managers, supervisors, and human resources personnel at the Birmingham restaurant on equal employment rights.

“We commend P.F. Chang’s for their commitment to ensuring that their restaurants make reasonable efforts to accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs,” said Bradley Anderson, director of EEOC’s Birmingham District Office, in the Sept. 15 news release. “This case should serve as a reminder for employers to train supervisors and representatives to recognize requests for religious accommodations. It is important all employers understand that federal law requires reasonable religious accommodations.”

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers must provide reasonable accommodations for religious observances. Employers are only exempt from this accommodation if doing so causes undue hardship. The EEOC noted that refusing to grant the Sunday-off request violated that requirement. 

Founded in 1993, P.F. Chang’s has 300-plus locations in more than 20 countries and airports. There are more than 200 restaurants in the United States, according to the company’s website.

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