If the employer determines the belief is not sincere, it may deny the exemption request.īut even if an employee's religious belief is determined to be sincere, it's the employer who decides what the reasonable accommodation will be. They may ask questions about that employee's vaccination history or church attendance. The Coronavirus Crisis 'Love your neighbor' and get the shot: White evangelical leaders push COVID vaccinesįirst, employers may probe whether an employee's religious belief is in fact sincere. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says employers must provide reasonable accommodations for workers who have sincerely held religious beliefs - unless doing so poses an undue hardship.

The right to request a religious exemption stems from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects workers from discrimination on the basis of religion, among other things. What are employer obligations to workers when it comes to religious exemptions? Under the law, employers have a lot of discretion when granting religious exemptions. Already, some employers are taking a harder line than others. How many of those requests will ultimately be approved is unknown. In Los Angeles, roughly a quarter of the police department is expected to seek religious exemptions. In Washington, D.C., more than 400 fire and emergency medical workers applied for religious exemptions to the city's vaccine mandate. More and more employers are ordering workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 without the option of getting tested instead. John the Divine in New York City sits empty as the rush for vaccinations winds down in June.

The waiting area of a pop-up vaccination site at the Cathedral of St.

Religious exemption for vaccines letter