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. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 5511 >> Ths request should include relevant information such as: Once a request is submitted, the University Chaplain will initiate an interactive process to determine if the request can be accommodated as requested and, if not, what, if any, alternative arrangements can be made. Please enable scripts and reload this page. 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. 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
[email protected]. nd OIE will do its best to respond in a timely manner. Make a temporary accommodation while a permanent one is being arranged. 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. (Note: This is a sample letter giving you a few theological reasons to help you with Biblical reasons to back up your claim for an exemption. The Department's reasonable accommodation policy is outlined within Personnel Bulletin 21-03 Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities. 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) a permanent position. The Department of the Air Force is processing a number of Religious Accommodation Requests for the COVID-19 vaccine. PO Box 81489 Middlesex, NJ 08 Fax Number: Your accommodation request will be reviewed by your . Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. 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. The need for religious accommodation may arise where an individual's religious beliefs, observances or practices conflict with a specific task or requirement of the position or an application process . else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Please give this request consideration at your earliest convenience. It has been brought to the attention of The Vault Project that many employers are requesting a signed letter from a pastor on their religious exemption request forms for COVID vaccines. Work on Sunday or holidays in place of Saturday. That being said, you should write your exemption letter in your own words according . To help our brethren who may need support in writing a letter to establish a 'religious objection,' we have created a Religious Accommodation Request template that can be used and modified to suit individual circumstances. Subject: Religious Accommodation for [Course Number]. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. 1/9/2019 Employer Address City, State, Zip Code RE: Accommodation for Religious Belief and Practice Dear (HR Person's Name): I am writing this letter on behalf of your employee, xxxxxx, who is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The VMS will be accessible via the myJH portal when it goes live on July 1. 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. If that effort fails or if the particular University office has questions, students may submit an online request for reasonable religious accommodations. If an accommodation would violate a collective bargaining agreement, it would result in an undue hardship. The EEOC published a sample form that employers can use for religious accommodation requests from workers, which have risen as Covid-19 vaccine mandates proliferate in the workplace. Would you please let me know in the next week? {Your Address} Secular activitiesshopping, sports, employment, and entertainmentare laid aside. 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. Particular considerations for different accommodation types include: A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. Examples of possible . However, the law does stipulate that the employer only has to conform if the accommodation will not cause the company any undue hardship. Please note that accommodation requests received past the deadline will not be considered until afterhousing assignments are determined. Explain that you would like an accommodation to allow you to practice your religion at work. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); For instance, state that there is a company policy in place that requires you to do certain things that are not acceptable within your religion. Examples of Accommodations We strive to be creative and flexible in arriving at a reasonable accommodation. RA ensures equal opportunity in the job application, examination, and hiring processes that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in those processes, and perform the essential functions of the job. This is a matter of considerable importance and urgency to me. 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. (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. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. This template letter is not intended to give legal advice, but rather general legal information and serve as a general resource. 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other requirement. Hardship Letter Religious Accommodation Discrimination Example {Your Name} {Your Address} {Your Phone #} {Your Loan #} {Date} To Whom It May Concern: I would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation due to religious belief. We have reviewed the attached case file and recommend action on SSgt Alpha's request for religious accommodation from compliance with Air Force grooming standards be deferred pending his imminent transfer of duty stations. Make sure that you make it very clear what it is that you cannot comply with and why. 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;}'; Should you have any questions about the reasoning or observance of this [name of religious holiday], please feel free to contact Hierald Osorto, Director of Religious and Spiritual Life, at
[email protected]. Employee requests for religious accommodation at work are not always handled appropriately; take, for instance, Ashanti McShan's case. A business also might reject a religious accommodation request if the accommodation would decrease workplace efficiency, such as if everyone else has to cover the worktime of the employee who is missing work regularly, she said. A lock ( State that you are a practicing member of a certain religion. 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. Thank you for considering my request. The employer shouldn't assume there is an undue hardship or automatically reject the requested accommodation but engage in a conversation with the employee about accommodation, Bunting said. 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. [Company name] (the Company) has engaged in good faith written and/or oral communications Always end a letter by thanking your employer for their kind consideration. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? Whenever possible, such requests should be submitted no less than 30 days in advance of the desired accommodation. I have experienced an increase in fatigue, as well as eye irritation. Upon approval of a request for a religious exemption to immunization, the student may be asked to sign a release acknowledging that in the event of an outbreak, the student may face particular restrictions regarding classes, housing, or other activities. c. Types of Accommodation Requests. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. Date of Letter I am (mention your name) on behalf of (mention company name) and would like to say that, the department provider's letter you submitted to us on [mention date] stated that you have the following work problem. Gathering InformationOIE asks students and employees to complete the religious accommodation request form. 5. information only on official, secure websites. The accommodation [will begin or began] on [date] and end based upon future doctor visits. Employer's name For Academic accommodations requests, students should seek to make arrangements with the appropriate professors first at the earliest opportunity. 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.