Pan American Airlines (PanAm), an airline, operated a large maintenance and overhaul base for its airplanes in Atlanta, Georgia. Because of its essential role, the stores department at the base operated around the clock, 365 days per year. The employees at the base were represented by the International Association of Pilots and Airplane Workers (Union). PanAm and Union entered into a collective bargaining agreement that included a seniority system for the assignment of jobs and shifts.

PanAm hired Harry Lardinam to work as a clerk in the stores department. Soon after beginning work, Lardinam joined the Universal Creator Church, which does not allow its members to work from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday and on certain religious holidays. Lardinam, who had the second-lowest seniority within the stores department, did not have enough seniority to observe his Sabbath regularly. When Lardinam asked for special consideration, PanAm offered to allow him to take his Sabbath off if he could switch shifts with another employee-union member. None of the other employees would do so. PanAm refused Lardinam's request for a four-day work week because it would have had to hire and train a part-time worker to work on Saturdays or incur the cost of paying overtime to an existing full-time worker on Saturdays. Lardinam sued PanAm for religious discrimination, in violation of Title VII.

Do PanAm's actions violate Title VII? Why or why not?

To what extent does it matter when or where Lardinam become a member of the Universal Creator Church? Explain.

If in metropolitan Omaha a company with 20 employees could show undue hardship because a key customer demands only to be served by White people, could the company only hire White people? Why or why not?

Explain how following Title VII positively affects a company’s operations. 

Discuss whether there are any downsides to following Title VII.