Thursday, October 28, 2021

Coronavirus Update 10-28-2021: EEOC publishes its own internal Religious Accommodation Request form


"Jon, we have so many employees asking us for religious accommodations from our workplace Covid rules, including our vaccine mandate. Do you have a form we can use to document the request?" 

I certainly do. But it's not mine. It's the EEOC's. The Agency just published the internal form it uses for its own employees' religious accommodation requests.

The form asks the employee for the following information:
  • The requirement, policy, or practice that conflicts with the employee's sincerely held religious observance, practice, or belief (hereinafter "religious beliefs").
  • The nature of the employee's sincerely held religious beliefs that conflict with the requirement, policy, or practice identified.
  • The requested accommodation or modification.
  • Any alternative accommodations that would eliminate the conflict between the requirement, policy, or practice and the employee's sincerely held religious beliefs.

It also provides space for the employer to indicate whether the requested accommodation was granted, if rejected why, and why an alternative accommodation was not proposed.

You can download the EEOC's form here.

Don't thank me, thank the EEOC, which continues to do great work for employers on pandemic-related issues.