religious accommodation request letter sample

Notice of Liability Sample Letter. Housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs may limit occupancy to members as. Dear Sir, With utmost respect and honor, it is stated that I work at your renowned company under customer representative designation. You should consult an attorney for legal advice specific to your . However, the rules do stipulate that you must make requests for certain accommodations based on your religious beliefs. 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 . A commander may require immediate compliance of an approved accommodation only under exigent circumstances and in furtherance of a compelling government interest due to operational necessity,. An employer violated federal law when it refused to grant an employee an exemption from its mandatory flu shot policy without a note from a clergy leader, the federal government has alleged in a . 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. It's been wonderful working here, everyone is very supporting and company really acknowledges employees work. 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 . 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. There are many types of accommodations. When we met with you, we discussed what type of accommodation you . You can also download it, export it or print it out. Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures, File a Discrimination and Harassment Report, ADA Compliance and Disability Accommodations, Accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, Faculty and Staff Workplace Accommodations, Faculty and Staff Workplace Accommodation RequestForm, Documentation Guidelines for Individuals with Disabilities, Pre-Entrance Health Requirement Deadlines, Homewood Campus: University Housing Religious Accommodation Request Form. {Your Phone #} Religious beliefs may exempt you from participating in certain functions or completing certain actions. This is false. Subject: Religious Accommodation for [Course Number]. Treat every employee's reasonable accommodation request as legitimate on its face. a description of the accommodation you are requesting; the reason you need an accommodation; and. Homewood Housing Requests:The university recognizes that student observance of their faith may require special consideration for housing assignments. To permit me to have Sabbath off once or twice a month would not suffice as a reasonable accommodation, since it would still force me to choose between my religion and my job. I am enrolled in your course [course number]. State that you are a practicing member of a certain religion. A lock ( Canadian law grants protection to an individuals personal religious beliefs which are sincerely held, regardless of whether those beliefs are adhered to by others or even by the faith community to which the individual belongs. However, the law does stipulate that the employer only has to conform if the accommodation will not cause the company any undue hardship. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); 6. Requests for accommodation should be made at the earliest opportunity once a student has become aware that a conflict exists. Employer Letter Example: Vaccine Mandate Objection No authorship claim or copyright asserted.A letter that also came to me via a route like a letter in a bottle. Describe what you expect this reasonable accommodation to be. 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. 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. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: a description of the accommodation you are requesting; I have been having medical issues that have affected my mood, sleep schedule, concentration, and focus. Pursuant to DoDI 1300.17, Accommodation of Bunting recalled one employee who claimed that being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles was a religion and he needed Sundays off. Under the Equal Employment regulations, I am entitled to accommodations provided that they do not cause undue hardship to the company. Hiring and Staffing Dept. If the employer discovers the employee lied, then the employer has an additional factor to consider. JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). SAMPLE REQUEST FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION [STUDENT] Dear [School Administration]: [School] has issued a directive requiring me, a student enrolled in [school] [or, if the student is a minor, my child [name of student], a student enrolled in [school],] to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine. 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. The Interactive Process is the way in which employees, supervisors, and their departments arrive at a reasonable accommodation. 5. It is difficult to say with certainty how long it can take to process requests, as many factors could impact timing (i.e., volume, complexity and availability of the student for follow up questions and/or their ability to timely provide supporting documentation). 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. I have the interest of the company at heart. % Particular considerations for different accommodation types include: A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. A religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work environment that will allow an employee or applicant to practice his or her religion. info@eeoc.gov The Sabbath is sacred to me and I devote these hours to God. Step 4. 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. The religious accommodation request, if filed with an employment agency, may be submitted to the agency to whom the employee currently has a personnel management relationship. To have your request for a religious academic/workplace accommodation considered, please review the following process: 1. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. whether the employee requesting a religious accommodation to a Covid-19 vaccination requirement works outdoors or indoors; whether the employee works in a solitary or group work setting, or has . 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. Would you please let me know in the next week? Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Gathering InformationOIE asks students and employees to complete the religious accommodation request form. If that effort fails or if the particular University office has questions, students may submit an online request for reasonable religious accommodations. If a religious accommodation infringes on co-workers' ability to perform their tasks or creates a hostile work environment the accommodation will likely qualify as an undue hardship and therefore not a reasonable accommodation. This includes accommodations you need during the COVID-19 pandemic to help you stay healthy and be able to work. 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. I would also be open to any other suggestions that you might have. Always end a letter by thanking your employer for their kind consideration. 1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone) For instance, you may ask for a shift swap, provide a substitute, or ask them to waive the requirement in full. The Interactive Process can begin in a number of ways. The interactive process starts when a student or employeesubmits a religious accommodation request. This is likely to be your HR representative, but do check on that first. 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 . Attach a copy of the policy, highlighting the issue at hand. If it would be easier, I would be happy to talk with you about this further in person or by phone. Don't, for example, automatically laugh when an employee says he or she is a follower of the Jedi. Edit your religious accommodation approval letter online Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. The sample letter linked contains false information such as: The COVID-19 vaccines are experimental gene therapy. (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. 11/2/21 Updated religious exemption template Attached is a sample template that can be modified for your use as your prepare your employee religious exemption. 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. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. I have joined the office 5 months ago. Employer's name In the meantime, they welcome feedback or questions from students who can reach them atdining@jhu.edu. 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. 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. In Washington, the exemption approval process is largely left up to individual departments to approve exemptions and provide accommodations, and it could . An employee may Therefore, the individual making the request must be "qualified", meaning the employee is able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable . Work a flexible schedule so that the employee can leave the job on Friday afternoon before sundown, to permit time to travel home before Sabbath begins. Staff with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability shall immediately contact their . Permitting a student or employee to take a particular day or time period off for a religious holiday; Providing a student or employee with a time and place to pray. For example. 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. 2000(e) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees religious observances. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further at your convenience. If an employee asks for time off on Saturdays to attend a religious service but also is known to attend a drag racing club then, the employer can push back and ask if the worker will attend the religious service or the drag race. Please note:To receive a religious accommodation, the religious observance must be one required by one's religious tradition. I am a practicing member of {Religion}. 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. Please contact dining@jhu.edu or consult the Hopkins dining webpage if you have additional questions. An applicant or employee to practice or observe his or her religion. Would you please let me know in the next week? Expand your toolbox with the tools and techniques needed to fix your organizations unique needs. OIE will then gather the necessary informationtoconsiderthe request. 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. The policy guarantees that you are not unduly prevented from observing your religious practice; it does not necessarily guarantee the observance of that practice at a particular time or in a particular location (e.g. This observance coincides with [name of assignment] that is listed on the syllabus. [Company Name] is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any protected status, and a work environment that . 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. Your name Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to engage in an interactive process. In order to establish the existence of a religious objection, it will be necessary for the individual to have specific religious beliefs which would be violated in a non-trivial way by receiving a particular vaccine. Secular activitiesshopping, sports, employment, and entertainmentare laid aside. In some cases, OIE may need to obtain additional information and/or documentation about the student or employee's religious or spiritual practice(s) or belief(s). He has requested a schedule that would accommodate his religious observance of . 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. (1) Observances of Worship and Holy Days. Other objective reasons that a request isn't for religious reasons might include if the worker says he or she only puts organic substances into his or her body, defining organic substances as those that come from dirt. SPOKANE, Wash - State employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine now have a way to request religious and medical exemptions. Train managers to recognize religious exemption requests and to refer them to HR. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. REQUEST FOR RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION / ACCOMMODATION RELATED TO [COMPANY NAME'S] COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY by offering opportunities for discussion, reminding people of available support services, and leading at a difficult time with compassion and empathy. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. religious accommodation is met with resentment and jealousy by co-workers it is still a viable solution. In order to retain my integrity in Sabbath observance, it is important that I be allowed to leave work each Friday just prior to sunset. Questions #1-7: Basic Information Questions 1 - 7 require . 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. 01. I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and I observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. It is difficult to say with certainty how long it can take to process requests, as many factors could impact timing (i.e., volume, complexity and availability of the student for follow up questions and/or their ability to timely provide supporting documentation). A letter from a religious leader of the faith community to which the student is a member stating the need for an exemption. And, it is also for encouraging and enticing your clients to visit your place of business as well. PO Box 81489 Middlesex, NJ 08 Fax Number: Your accommodation request will be reviewed by your . Employees requesting a religious accommodation shall immediately contact their local Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator. (3) A request for the accommodation of religious practices may be granted in whole or in part. I request Reasonable Accommodation to have {Company Name} {waive the requirement, provide a substitute, allow shift swap, etc.}. Suspicious timing might arise if a worker requests and is denied time off on a Saturday and then the worker claims to have joined a religious organization that meets then and revives the request. stream If students are sabbath-observant, they must make this fact known to their professors for any course in which Saturday work is required. I would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation due to religious belief. Once an Airman or Guardian requests a vaccination exemption for religious reasons in writing to their commander, a chaplain is . As part of our commitment to diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination, the University makes good faith efforts to reconcile potential conflicts between an individuals strongly heldreligious, spiritual or philosophicalbeliefs and university work or academic requirements. c. Types of Accommodation Requests. Please log in as a SHRM member. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other requirement. 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. However, following receipt of the request, OIE will speak with a students faculty and/or student affairs representative, or an employees supervisor and/or department in order to further evaluate and/or implement the religious accommodation. This catalog is the document of authority for all students and includes undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students. 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. Sabbath Accommodation - Sundown Request - Employee Letter, Seventh-day Adventist Publications on Church - State Subjects. Governor Jay Inslee is requiring thousands of employees to get . The Jedi religion is listed by the military as one of more than 200 religions it recognizes. You are entitled to make this request, and your employer must make these accommodations based on the law of Equal Employment Opportunity. The Orthodox Union certifies the Kosher program and offers lunch and dinner Sundays through Thursdays and lunch on Fridays. In addition, it . What should I do if an applicant or employee asks for breaks, leave or other changes to a work situation because of his medical condition or his religious beliefs? Bunting concluded by outlining best practices to follow when handling religious accommodation requests: If an employee rejects a good accommodation that an employer has offered, "you're golden," Bunting said. Be aware of differences in state law. Manager Responsibilities - Reasonable Accommodation Tips, 131 M Street, NE Sincerely, This site contains User-Generated Content, meaning any and all information and content that a user submits to the Site. 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. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has excellent regulations and a compliance manual with lots of information and suggestions for how someone, like myself, can be accommodated. I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and I observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. . I therefore respectfully request that you make an accommodation for my religious belief, observance, and practice in keeping with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the guidelines of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by allowing me to leave work on the Fridays in question just prior to sundown. 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. 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. 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. 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. Share sensitive Employers can request additional information when religious accommodations are requested, Bunting noted. employee-religious-exemption-november-2021 Download Vaccine Religious Exemption Given ongoing construction in our building and increased dust from it, my allergy symptoms have greatly increased. As I believe you are aware, I am a Seventh-day Adventist. Find your nearest EEOC office Make accommodation policies clear, and apply them equally even if the employer has never heard of the religion. If there is more than one option, the student affairs representative or employer will balance a student oremployees expressed preference with operational or academic considerations.Religious accommodations can take many forms.

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