(a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any officer, agency or department of the State or any of its political subdivisions, to prohibit, prevent or disqualify any person from, or otherwise to discriminate against any person in, obtaining or holding employment by the State or by any such subdivision, because of such person's observance of any particular day or days or any portion thereof as a sabbath or other holy day in accordance with the requirements of the person's religion.

(b) Except as may be required in an emergency or where personal presence is indispensable to the orderly transaction of public business, no person employed by the State or any of its political subdivisions shall be required to remain at the place of employment during any day or days or portion thereof that, as a religious requirement, the person observes as the sabbath or other holy day, including a reasonable time prior and subsequent thereto for travel between the place of employment and home, provided however, that any such absence from work shall, wherever practicable in the judgment of the employer, be made up by an equivalent amount of time and work at some other mutually convenient time, or shall be charged against any leave with pay ordinarily granted, other than sick leave, provided further, however, that any such absence not so made up or charged, may be treated by the employer of such person as leave taken without pay.

(c) This section shall not be construed to apply to any position dealing with the public health or safety where the person holding such position must be available for duty whenever needed, or to any position or class of positions the nature and quality of the duties of which are such that the personal presence of the holder of such position is regularly essential on any particular day or days or portion thereof for the normal performance of such duties with respect to any applicant therefor or holder thereof who, as a religious requirement, observes such day or days or portion thereof as the sabbath or other holy day.