Delaware law protects refusal of certain political or religious meetings

Employers may not punish or threaten employees for declining covered meetings or messages. This applies when an employee declines an employer-sponsored meeting or declines to take part in, receive, or listen to the employer’s message about political or religious matters. The rule has exceptions for communications required by law or needed for job duties, certain public entity and higher education communications, and relevant policy discussions by tax-exempt organizations. A tax-exempt organization’s exception does not cover its views about employees forming or joining a union.

The meeting protections do not apply to the specified organizations and instruction. These exclusions concern particular religious or political communications and required education or training. Religious organizations exempt from the specified federal or state employment discrimination rules are excluded for religious speech to employees doing work connected with their activities. Political organizations and parties are excluded for required communications about their political tenets or purposes. The section also excludes regular-course political or religious lectures at educational institutions; mission-related instruction, fieldwork, or community service in nonprofit tax-exempt training programs; and employee training needed to comply with an employer’s legal obligations.

The Department of Labor must update its required employee notice. The notice is the one required under Title 19, § 716(a). The update is due within 90 days after the Act’s effective date.