A Texas-based Chick-fil-A franchise operator is now facing a federal religious discrimination lawsuit after the U.S. government accused the company of firing an employee who refused to work Saturdays because of her Christian faith.
According to the BBC, Hatch Trick Inc. — which operates multiple Chick-fil-A locations in the Austin area — violated federal workplace protections after allegedly denying a manager’s repeated requests for a religious accommodation. The employee, a member of the United Church of God, observes the Sabbath from Friday evening through Saturday evening and reportedly informed the company during her August 2023 interview that she could not work Saturdays for religious reasons.
The lawsuit claims the arrangement worked for several months before management reversed course in early 2024 and told the employee she would need to begin working Saturdays to remain in her management role. According to court filings, the employee regularly worked 45 to 50 hours per week, handling dispatch operations and overseeing delivery drivers, including occasional Sunday shifts.
When she pushed back, the EEOC says Hatch Trick offered her a lower-level delivery driver position instead — one that allegedly came with reduced hours, lower pay, and fewer benefits. The employee also proposed alternative solutions, including adjusting shifts after sundown on Saturdays and redistributing dispatch duties for one day each week. Federal officials claim those options were rejected before she was ultimately terminated.
“Religious discrimination in the workplace is unlawful, and employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees’ sincerely held beliefs,” EEOC San Antonio Field Office Director Norma Guzman said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
Chick-fil-A has long tied its corporate identity to Christian values. The chain famously closes all restaurants on Sundays, with the company stating the policy is intended to allow workers time to rest, spend time with family, or attend worship services if they choose.
In response to the lawsuit, Chick-fil-A said that employment decisions are handled independently by franchise owners. “It’s important to know that, as a franchise business, all employment decisions are solely the responsibility of each individual restaurant owner,” the company said.
Hatch Trick Inc. has not publicly commented on the allegations.
The legal fight comes amid an already turbulent stretch of headlines tied to the brand. Earlier this year, a former Texas Chick-fil-A employee was arrested after police accused him of stealing more than $80,000 through a fraudulent refund operation involving hundreds of fake mac-and-cheese transactions.
