This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its
technical guidance to provide more information on religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Three key points to note:
- Employees and applicants must inform their employers if they seek an exception to an employer’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.
- Title VII requires employers to consider requests for religious accommodations but does not protect social, political, economic views, or personal preferences of employees who seek exceptions to a COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
- Employers that demonstrate “undue hardship” are not required to accommodate an employee’s request for a religious accommodation.
Providers should consult the entire
EEOC technical guidance and its implications on their vaccine mandates. AHCA/NCAL anticipates the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to also issue its health care worker vaccine mandate soon.