In Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida et al., the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Paula Hobbie, a convert to the Seventh-day Adventist Church who was fired from her job for refusing to work on her Sabbath (Saturday). After being denied unemployment benefits by the state of Florida because she was dismissed for "misconduct," Hobbie appealed, arguing that this violated her First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court agreed with Hobbie's argument and held that denying her unemployment benefits constituted an infringement on her religious freedom under the Free Exercise Clause. The court stated that it is not within its purview or competence to judge or question someone’s religious beliefs and practices unless there are compelling reasons such as health, safety, or welfare concerns involved which were absent in this case.

In the dissenting opinion for Hobbie v. Unemployment Appeals Commission of Florida, Justice White argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with previous rulings and expanded First Amendment protections too far. He contended that while religious beliefs are protected by the Constitution, actions based on those beliefs can be subject to regulation in certain circumstances. In this case, he believed that Ms. Hobbie's refusal to work on her Sabbath should not have been protected because it imposed a significant burden on her employer and coworkers who would need to cover her shifts every week. Furthermore, he pointed out that unemployment benefits are intended as temporary assistance for those involuntarily unemployed through no fault of their own; however, Ms. Hobbie voluntarily quit due to personal reasons which shouldn't entitle her to these benefits according to him.