EEOC Issues Expanded Guidance on Religious Objections to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
By Curtis Greenwood and Mark Wiletsky
On October 25, 2021, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated and expanded its technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing questions regarding vaccine mandates and religious accommodations at a time when COVID-19 vaccination mandates are becoming more widespread. This expanded technical assistance provides important information for employers, employees, and applicants when navigating vaccine-related religious accommodation requests.
The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. Title VII provides a right for applicants and employees to request religious accommodation from employer requirements that conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances. If an employer can show that a religious accommodation would cause an undue hardship on its operations, the employer is not required to grant the accommodation. Read more