Requests for reasonable accommodation to participate in pre-employment polygraph examinations must be submitted to the Office . Religious accommodation requests require a written statement, via the CDCR Form 2273, Request for Religious Accommodation, indicating the individual's sincerely-held religious belief that precludes them from receiving any COVID-19 vaccine. After you complete your submission, you will receive automated responses and updates from the system as your documents or exception requests are processed by the John Hopkins Exception Review Team.If you have questions or concerns, please contactoie@jhu.edu. A lock ( This includes accommodations you need during the COVID-19 pandemic to help you stay healthy and be able to work. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. Your address If employers get an accommodation request from a believer in a religion that is so obscure there's no faith leader, Bunting recommended asking the employee to e-mail HR a paragraph describing why . A request for a religious accommodation for dining must document: As with housing and dining accommodations, medical accommodations should be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark. OIE may need to discuss the nature of the religious belief(s, practice(s), and accommodation(s) with a student or employee's spiritual leader (if applicable) or religious or philosophy scholars to address the request for an exception. Below I have included some possible ideas that could help at my workstation. For example, if someone wants to wear long, loose-fitting religious attire near a bagel slicer, the employer might decline the request, but try to find another position for the worker away from the bagel slicer. She had just been hired as a cashier at the fast-food restaurant. The hiring manager had assured her that [] Although Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) do not require clergy letters to be submitted in order to obtain a religious accommodation to receiving . You should consult an attorney for legal advice specific to your . Requests for accommodation should be made at the earliest opportunity once a student has become aware that a conflict exists. I have joined the office 5 months ago. For example, an applicant may ask to reschedule an interview that is on a religious holiday or an employee may request an exception to a "no hats" rule to wear a religious head covering, such as a yarmulke or hijab. OIE will then gather the necessary informationtoconsiderthe request. General Information Catalog IT Policies, Standards, and Guidelines If employees have submitted a request for reasonable or religious accommodation due to the inability to comply with mandatory testing, they may request permission to remain off work, using their own leave credits or . Please bear in mind that I do not request to have the Sabbath off in order to have an extra day at home to catch up on odd jobs or to engage in recreation or amusements. The Interactive Process is the way in which employees, supervisors, and their departments arrive at a reasonable accommodation. {Your Phone #} Don't, for example, automatically laugh when an employee says he or she is a follower of the Jedi. SAMPLE REQUEST FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION [EMPLOYMENT] Dear [HR Department]: [Employer] has directed me to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, or suffer adverse employment action, up to and including termination. Accordingly, employers should treat religious exemption requests with care and consistency, as a matter of law and respect for your employees.Requesting a religious exemption is not a free pass, though. Erin Mulvaney. Employers can push backgentlyon religious accommodation requests and don't have to grant requests that would result in an undue hardship, which is much easier for employers to show for religious accommodation requests than disability accommodation requests. Submission of the completed form will be treated as a request for a disability accommodation and evaluated and decided under applicable Rehabilitation Act standards for reasonable accommodation absent undue hardship to the agency. I have experienced an increase in fatigue, as well as eye irritation. Expand your toolbox with the tools and techniques needed to fix your organizations unique needs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. An applicant or employee may need a reasonable accommodation (a change to the way things are normally done at work) so he can practice or observe his religion. Once a religious objection to taking a vaccine is established, an employer has a duty to accommodate that religious belief up to the point of undue hardship. You are encouraged to submit your request for accommodation ten (10) business days following implementation of the vaccination policy. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); }\_e1~PyxxC|~t#;w#~0?Op|*h UAYIcW_}qWXz.fqw~zyW4iqCg+ty{%45&r4ZU PtYI}H{R=PRI^K$L*)W[XRdY\v 6jTl.e>A(SO>=q&>y$%\5/X1,oFfs5y4"]bu{HcO&9YEK~)1)r% m!xb11L kTIOrc~?(w4"9qoPA Consider the request. Explain that, under the doctrine of a certain belief in your religion, you cannot perform certain actions, such as shaving your beard or working on Sundays, for example. In an effort to meet individual students needs, Housing Operations will work directly with the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life for assigning students who are approved for religion-based housing accommodations.To request a religious-based housing accommodation, students should submit the Homewood Campus: University Housing Religious Accommodation Request Form to the Office of Institutional Equity by the following deadlines based on their class. Individuals covered by the federal vaccination mandate currently impacting nine Penn State campuses who believe that their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances prevent them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, may complete an online accommodation request form on or before Nov. 5. (800) 526-7234 (Voice) | (877) 781-9403 (TTY) | Employer Live Chat, Home| About| For Employers| For Individuals| For Others| On Demand, Feedback| Accessibility| Copyright| Disclaimer| Privacy, Examples of Accommodation Request Letters, Personal air purifier (for my office) and air filters (for HVAC), or. Frequently Asked Questions, Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations, Office of Civil Rights, Diversity and Inclusion, Management Directives & Federal Sector Guidance, Federal Sector Alternative Dispute Resolution, sincere religious, ethical or moral beliefs. employee-religious-exemption-november-2021 Download Vaccine Religious Exemption [Company Name] is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any protected status, and a work environment that . The sample letter linked contains false information such as: The COVID-19 vaccines are experimental gene therapy. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: a description of the accommodation you are requesting; A letter from a religious leader of the faith community to which the student is a member stating the need for an exemption. This is a matter of considerable importance and urgency to me. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 5511 >> {Your Address} Ask your manager to meet with you. I would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation due to religious belief. SPOKANE, Wash - State employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine now have a way to request religious and medical exemptions. Your letter should be a formal one, addressed to the right person. Whatever adjustments need to be made, you can count on me to do everything I can to cooperate fully. American University will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a university policy, procedure, or other academic requirement unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship. An employer that requires vaccinations against COVID-19 must grant sincere religious accommodation requests, so long as they. I would like to request an exception based on my religious beliefs and practices. Religious Exemption letter. In most cases, students should seek to make arrangements with the appropriate University office first, contacting professors, residential life, or dining services. Dear Professor [last name], I am enrolled in your course [course number]. Monitoring the Religious AccommodationBecause changes occur, student affairs representatives and employers may need to periodically check on the ongoing effectiveness of religious accommodations. LockA locked padlock I am writing this letter to submit a request for accommodations in the workplace. For instance, if you are unable to work on a Sunday, offer to work on a different unpopular shift instead, so that your colleagues are not disproportionately disadvantaged by your request either. But for employees who need more ideas, the following examples offer additional guidance about how to communicate the need for an accommodation for various types of medical conditions. If it would be easier, I would be happy to talk with you about this further in person or by phone. % how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other requirement. The VMS will be accessible via the myJH portal when it goes live on July 1. In Exodus 20, the Bible commands us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, and to refrain from work on that day. SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference, Montana's governor made vaccination status a protected category, How to Push Back on Religious Accommodation Requests, New OSHA Guidance Clarifies Return-to-Work Expectations, Trump Suspends New H-1B Visas Through 2020, Faking COVID-19 Illness Can Have Serious Consequences, White House Takes Action Against Migrant Child Labor, Antisemitism Fears, Incidents Are Rising in the US, Federal Lawmakers Propose Ban on Noncompete Agreements. We have noticed that many brethren in Canada and elsewhere are facing the loss of employment for their unwillingness to comply with recent vaccine mandates in the workplace. information only on official, secure websites. The Interactive Process can begin in a number of ways. If an accommodation would violate a collective bargaining agreement, it would result in an undue hardship. The Jedi religion is listed by the military as one of more than 200 religions it recognizes. Don't be afraid to gently question the sincerity of the religion. I am willing to come to work earlier on Fridays, come to work on Sunday, or to cooperate in whatever arrangements may need to be made so I can retain my Sabbath observance according to my convictions. For instance, you may ask for a shift swap, provide a substitute, or ask them to waive the requirement in full. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Bunting recalled one employee who claimed that being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles was a religion and he needed Sundays off. Your session has expired. It is the policy of the University of Washington to reasonably accommodate students' religious observances in accordance with RCW 28B.137.010.. However, writing such an initial request can feel intimidating and employees can get nervous about what to include in the letter and how to word it. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to engage in an interactive process. Avoid application of punitive leave policies. Some examples include: Permitting a student or employee to take a particular day or time period off for a religious holiday; Permitting flexible scheduling; and Providing a student or employee with a time and place to pray. If accommodation is easy, do it," said Kelly Dobbs Bunting, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig in Philadelphia, speaking at the SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference 2022on March 30 in Washington, D.C. Requests for religious accommodations must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, considering the unique facts; the nature of the requested religious accommodation; the effect of approval or denial on the Service member's exercise of religion; and the effect of approval or denial on mission accomplishment, including unit cohesion. Religious accommodation is covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Financial Hardship Examples, Samples and Articles, Writing A Hardship Letter Religious Accommodation Discrimination, Writing A Hardship Letter Property Repairs. Because many people still do not want to be vaccinated, a number of websites have . I have been having medical issues that have affected my mood, sleep schedule, concentration, and focus. Housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs may limit occupancy to members as. The requestor will be informed in writing of the decision to grant or deny the request, and of any conditions or limitations placed on the grant. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Gathering InformationOIE asks students and employees to complete the religious accommodation request form. Sabbath Accommodation Request - Employee Letter, Seventh-day Adventist Publications on Church - State Subjects. Find your nearest EEOC office 10 Examples of Religious Exemption Requests for Covid-19 Vaccines In the United States, employers have the responsibility to create a safe and unbiased work environment for people of different races and beliefs. . In Washington, the exemption approval process is largely left up to individual departments to approve exemptions and provide accommodations, and it could . Sabbath Accommodation Request - Employee Letter DATE EMPLOYER NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE RE: (YOUR NAME) Dear (NAME): I am writing to request religious accommodation for my observance of Sabbath. Religious Accommodation Request Form A reasonable religious accommodation is a change in the work environment or in the way tasks or responsibilities are customarily done that enables an employee to participate in their religious practice or belief without undue hardship on the conduct of the university's business or operation. For Academic accommodations requests, students should seek to make arrangements with the appropriate professors first at the earliest opportunity. Examples of possible . Request for Accommodation of Religious Practice SAMPLE 1. I often suggest employees consider making a written request so they can decide what to say and how to say it without the stress of a face-to-face meeting with their employer. If employers get an accommodation request from a believer in a religion that is so obscure there's no faith leader, Bunting recommended asking the employee to e-mail HR a paragraph describing why the worker needs to be accommodated for religious reasons, judging its sincerity and, if determined to be sincere, granting the accommodation. As a starting point, JAN offers general guidance about writing an accommodation request letter, which lays out possible elements to include in the body of the letter. This isn't really a religious request, so the employer can push back and request a letter from a faith leader, she said. {Your Loan #}. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { Although a manager may consider it reasonable to permit me to have, say, every other Saturday off work, this would not actually accommodate my belief, since I cannot work on any Sabbath. The law requires that employees and employers engage in the Interactive Process. For example, if an employer has to hire a temporary worker to cover Saturdays for an employee who misses shifts then for religious reasons, there might be an undue hardship in accommodating the employee, she said. Subject: Religious Accommodation for [Course Number]. However, the law does stipulate that the employer only has to conform if the accommodation will not cause the company any undue hardship. Employee Flu Vaccine ExceptionRequests:Whenever possible, employees should submit vaccine exceptionrequests to OIE at least 30 days in advance of Johns Hopkins Medicine Compliance Deadlines and OIE will do its best to respond in a timely manner. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. On [enter date or dates] we will be observing [name of holiday]. Below is a guide with suggestions and sample answers to help you complete your COVID vaccine religious exemption request using the Department of Defense 'DD 3177 Religious Exemption Form' along with notes to help you avoid the obvious "pitfalls" weaved into this document to undermine your ability to obtain a religious exemption. For incoming students, a request must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; Religious beliefs may exempt you from participating in certain functions or completing certain actions. This sample letter can be used to ask your employer or prospective workplace for reasonable accommodations you need in the hiring process or for your job. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. 5. For instance, your company may have a certain dress code that you cannot adhere to, expect you to work on what is classed as a day of rest in your religion, and so on. Under the Equal Employment regulations, I am entitled to accommodations provided that they do not cause undue hardship to the company. Kosher Meal Plans: The university offers severalKosher meal plan optionsthat can be used at the The Taam Tov section of theHopkins Cafe. Employer's name I observe the seventh-day of the week (Saturday) as the Sabbath as taught by my church in harmony with the Old and New Testament teachings of the Bible. Model Letter: Requesting Religious Accommodation in the Face of COVID-19 Vaccine Workplace Mandate For good or bad, COVID-19 has changed the way we navigate the world and the way in which "we the people" exercise our rights. Rising sophomores (Class of 2025): Thursday, March 3, 2022, Incoming students (Class of 2026 and transfer sophomores): TBD. CBP Applicant: An applicant requesting religious accommodation for any stage of the application process must submit a request for religious accommodation to the Indianapolis or Minneapolis Hiring Center, as applicable. I identify as an observing [religious affiliation], and I am writing to request that you make accommodation for my religious observance this semester in accordance with the college's attendance policy. These may prove helpful to consult. If the employer discovers the employee lied, then the employer has an additional factor to consider. The Office of the University Chaplain has communicated to the faculty via the Provosts office a list of major religious holy days. If an employer has tried everything else, unpaid leave is acceptable. Please give this request consideration at your earliest convenience. Student Vaccine ExceptionRequests:Whenever possible, students should submit vaccine exceptionrequests to OIE at least 30 days in advance of Pre-Entrance Health Requirement Deadlines and OIE will do its best to respond in a timely manner. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. religious accommodation is met with resentment and jealousy by co-workers it is still a viable solution. I have the interest of the company at heart. I would be a violation of my deeply held sincere religious conviction to work on Sabbath--the 24 hour period from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Religious accommodations can take many forms. An applicant or employee to practice or observe his or her religion. Sincerely, More than 10,000 requests from across the Total Force have been received, of which approximately 2,100 have been disapproved due to military readiness considerations. Secular activitiesshopping, sports, employment, and entertainmentare laid aside. Exploring Religious Accommodation OptionsOIE will consider reasonable religious accommodation requests on a case?by?case basis and consider factors, including but not limited to the: OIE will endeavor to protect the requesting student or employees privacy in evaluating and processing the accommodation to the greatest extent possible. I request Reasonable Accommodation to have {Company Name} {waive the requirement, provide a substitute, allow shift swap, etc.}. According to new guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers can push back when there is: HR may speak with supervisors and inquire about whether the person talks about religion at work or has ever asked for specific days off. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's template is the same one the agency uses for its own employees, and was part of a Thursday update to . The Justice Centre does not have a standard template to address such individual beliefs. Additional information may be requested if needed to evaluate the request. In the meantime, they welcome feedback or questions from students who can reach them atdining@jhu.edu. Employees, as well as job applicants, may request a religious or reasonable accommodation from an employer requirement that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances. } 2000(e) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees religious observances. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. Once OIE has all supporting documentation, it will strive for a 5 business day turnaround. It covers COVID-19 vaccine requirements and mandates, too. I would also be open to any other suggestions that you might have. Students are required to check their course syllabi at the beginning of the semester, make any conflicts with religious/cultural observances known to their professors, and discuss arrangements for missed classes or assignments. Describe what you expect this reasonable accommodation to be. Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. Train managers to recognize religious exemption requests and to refer them to HR. Site information is not to be replaced with or considered professional medical advice. I identify as an observing [religious affiliation], and I am writing to request that you make accommodation for my religious observance this semester in accordance with the college's attendance policy. I am informed that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. First-Year Residential Students Living on Campus: You can sign up for a kosher meal plan while registering for housing the summer before you arrive on campus.Second-Year Resident Students Living in McCoyor Charles Commons: You can sign up for a kosher meal plan while registering for housing the spring of your first year.Second-year Residential Students Living in Homewood Apartments, Bradford, or Rogerss House: You can sign up for a kosher meal plan while registering for housing the spring of your first year or by signing up for meal plans on theHousing Portal.Upperclassmen and Off-Campus Students: You can enroll for a Kosher meal plan on theHousing Portal by logging in with your JHED. Sabbath Accommodation - Sundown Request - Employee Letter DATE EMPLOYER NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE RE: (YOUR NAME): Dear (NAME), As I believe you are aware, I am a Seventh-day Adventist. Bunting noted that companies that previously placed employees on unpaid leave when they declined COVID-19 vaccinations for religious reasons are now bringing them back to the workplace. Must an . Share sensitive If you wish to submit proof of your COVID-19 vaccination or request a religious exception for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement, please do so via the Universitys Vaccine Management System (VMS) that will launch on July 1, 2021. That being said, you should write your exemption letter in your own words according . Each request is individually reviewed by . Sabbath observance is so important to Adventists that it is part of our churchs name, i.e., Seventh-day.. student affairs representatives, faculty, managers, and/or supervisors) who participated in the interactive process. The Orthodox Union certifies the Kosher program and offers lunch and dinner Sundays through Thursdays and lunch on Fridays. Please note:To receive a religious accommodation, the religious observance must be one required by one's religious tradition. Make sure, as well, that the letter does not contain any grammatical or spelling errors. There are also Kosher retail items available for purchase at theCharles Street Market (Char Mar). This includes people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Sikhism, as well as people who have newer or less common religious beliefs, and atheists. At JAN, I often discuss options with employees about what might be useful to include and how to clearly explain what accommodation is needed. As you consider these examples, you may find it helpful to review How to Disclose a Disability and Request Accommodations in the Workplace on JANs page for Individuals, which also provides more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Work on Sunday or holidays in place of Saturday. There are many types of accommodations. For example. The purpose of an accommodation request is to allow the requesting employee to perform certain job duties, either in their current role or in a position they are seeking. JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please note that all such forms and policies should be reviewed by your legal counsel for compliance with applicable law, and should be modified to suit your organizations culture, industry, and practices. In addition, it . Students and employees must generally submit religious accommodation requests annually. Be aware of differences in state law. While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 doesn't go as far as encompassing sports as a religion, the EEOC does define religions as including religious beliefs that are new or uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect, only subscribed to by a small number of people, or illogical or unreasonable to others. The point of dedicating a page for accommodation requests is for your client to know your business more intimately like they know every inch of their personality. Employers are supposed to start out with the assumption that the employee's religious belief is sincere. Depending on the circumstances, some examples of workplace accommodations may include: providing a woven cloth mask or personal protective equipment (PPE); physical distancing or modifying the work environment; modifying work schedules;
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