religious accommodation request letter sample

It is your responsibility to make sure your employer has received the letter, and it is your responsibility to follow it up to make sure that your requested changes have been made. Implementing the Religious Accommodation Don't be afraid to gently question the sincerity of the religion. 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. For instance, if you are unable to work on a Sunday, offer to work on a different unpopular shift instead, so that your colleagues are not disproportionately disadvantaged by your request either. For example, if someone wants to wear long, loose-fitting religious attire near a bagel slicer, the employer might decline the request, but try to find another position for the worker away from the bagel slicer. "Each of the manufactures of the Covid vaccines currently available developed and confirmed their vaccines using fetal cell lines, which originated from aborted fetuses. When we met with you, we discussed what type of accommodation you . Some examples include: 4. 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). }\_e1~PyxxC|~t#;w#~0?Op|*h UAYIcW_}qWXz.fqw~zyW4iqCg+ty{%45&r4ZU PtYI}H{R=PRI^K$L*)W[XRdY\v 6jTl.e>A(SO>=q&>y$%\5/X1,oFfs5y4"]bu{HcO&9YEK~)1)r% m!xb11L kTIOrc~?(w4"9qoPA Kosher Meal Plans: The university offers severalKosher meal plan optionsthat can be used at the The Taam Tov section of theHopkins Cafe. Rising sophomores (Class of 2025): Thursday, March 3, 2022, Incoming students (Class of 2026 and transfer sophomores): TBD. Each request is individually reviewed by . 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). a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. Please log in as a SHRM member. As a starting point, JAN offers general guidance about writing an accommodation request letter, which lays out possible elements to include in the body of the letter. One option that I would propose is [enter request]. Questions regarding applying for housing should be directed to Housing Operations at (410) 516-7960 or housing@jhu.edu. [2]It is important for student affairs representatives, faculty, human resources, and supervisors to recognize a request and to refer the student or employee to OIE to initiate the interactive process. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Depending on the circumstances, some examples of workplace accommodations may include: providing a woven cloth mask or personal protective equipment (PPE); physical distancing or modifying the work environment; modifying work schedules; The letter should make it clear that you are requesting reasonable accommodation in view of your religious beliefs. 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. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Particular considerations for different accommodation types include: A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. The Department's reasonable accommodation policy is outlined within Personnel Bulletin 21-03 Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities. For example. Would you please let me know in the next week? There is no public health emergency. employee-religious-exemption-november-2021 Download Vaccine Religious Exemption The University may suggest an alternative accommodation it deems reasonable to accommodate a request. Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. However, I cannot receive a COVID-19 vaccine because to do so would violate my sincerely held religious beliefs. Treat every employee's reasonable accommodation request as legitimate on its face. If that effort fails or if the particular University office has questions, students may submit an online request for reasonable religious accommodations. 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. There are many types of accommodations. Thank you in advance for accommodating my request. Since our company operates on the basis of a five-day workweek, Monday through Friday, there has not been any problem in my work schedule regarding having the hours of the Sabbath off. No attorney-client relationship is created by using the templates. x][s} d =@_(3"I7ZqOnmY.=s@C`0NT6_w5_/O?a(Km~]Wy]]? Dear Boss, First, I request a religious exemption. a description of the accommodation you are requesting; the reason you need an accommodation; and. 3. else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { Inconsistent behavior with the professed belief. Find your nearest EEOC office 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 . 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. I will be very grateful if you could assist me in achieving a suitable schedule to avoid such a conflict. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. Model Letter: Requesting Religious Accommodation in the Face of COVID-19 Vaccine Workplace Mandate Dear [Name of Human Resources Officer or other appropriate supervisor]: On [set forth date], I and other employees of [name of employer] were notified that all employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof thereof or face Under the Equal Employment regulations, I am entitled to accommodations provided that they do not cause undue hardship to the company. 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. You are encouraged to submit your request for accommodation ten (10) business days following implementation of the vaccination policy. description of the accommodation you are requesting; A written letter to the chief official of the school, President Sylvia Burwell, that states the immunization would violate their religious belief as required by DC Code Section 38-506. 1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone), Call 1-800-669-4000 A lock ( 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. Describe what you expect this reasonable accommodation to be. 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. If an employer has tried everything else, unpaid leave is acceptable. Ask your manager to meet with you. 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. 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. 4. However, the rules do stipulate that you must make requests for certain accommodations based on your religious beliefs. Pursuant to DoDI 1300.17, Accommodation of 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. Please let me know your decision at your earliest convenience. This is likely to be your HR representative, but do check on that first. Sincerely, Whatever adjustments need to be made, you can count on me to do everything I can to cooperate fully. In the meantime, they welcome feedback or questions from students who can reach them atdining@jhu.edu. Your name You can also download it, export it or print it out. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. When May an Employer Reject a Religious Accommodation Request? The interactive process starts when a student or employeesubmits a religious accommodation request. A religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work environment that will allow an employee or applicant to practice his or her religion. Document accommodations the employer tried to make and that the employee rejected. Site information is not to be replaced with or considered professional medical advice. 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. 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. 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. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. M`f"_qy7iSvvhBnq>!I+b"j0GL1Hy=3qIRrK{ 7\p% $K'@? < e/q[4T5iC`t`]fX`W_da(dk5 GadSh7(C/?. 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? It is the policy of the University of Washington to reasonably accommodate students' religious observances in accordance with RCW 28B.137.010.. These may prove helpful to consult. If there are any other ideas or options that you could provide it would be greatly appreciated. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Companies, however, have a leg up on public-sector employers when it comes to dealing with religious challenges to vaccine mandates. Employee requests for religious accommodation at work are not always handled appropriately; take, for instance, Ashanti McShan's case. 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 hosorto@ithaca.edu. This isn't really a religious request, so the employer can push back and request a letter from a faith leader, she said. (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. 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. Sabbath Accommodation - Sundown Request - Employee Letter DATE EMPLOYER NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE RE: (YOUR NAME): Dear (NAME), As I believe you are aware, I am a Seventh-day Adventist. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. OIE will then gather the necessary informationtoconsiderthe request. It covers COVID-19 vaccine requirements and mandates, too. 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. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. An employer must try to arrange to allow the employee to meet these religious obligations. If the student does not belong to a religious community that could provide this letter,the student should indicate this in their letter and request a letter from the University Chaplain after due consultation with the University Chaplain. 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. You cannot, in other words, expect an employer or any other form of organization to guess what your religious beliefs are, and to put the appropriate measures in place. Please let me know if you need additional information or would like to discuss additional ideas. A request for a religious accommodation for dining must document: As with housing and dining accommodations, medical accommodations should be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. The sample letter linked contains false information such as: The COVID-19 vaccines are experimental gene therapy. This site contains User-Generated Content, meaning any and all information and content that a user submits to the Site. 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. Workplace distractions interfere with my concentration and focus so I would like to try noise cancelling headphones to minimize sound distractions. 2. 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. Writing A Hardship Letter To Social Security. You should consult an attorney for legal advice specific to your . Send religious accommodation letter sample via email, link, or fax. This is false. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other requirement. Sitting or standing for long periods of time in the same position is causing increased pain and is decreasing my mobility. In Washington, the exemption approval process is largely left up to individual departments to approve exemptions and provide accommodations, and it could . Please note that all such forms and policies should be reviewed by your legal counsel for compliance with applicable law, and should be modified to suit your organizations culture, industry, and practices. Change employee to a shift or department that does not operate on Friday night or Saturday. Your address To help our brethren who may need support in writing a letter to establish a religious objection, we have created aReligious Accommodation Requesttemplate that can be used and modified to suit individual circumstances. Religious Exemption Letter. For Academic accommodations requests, students should seek to make arrangements with the appropriate professors first at the earliest opportunity. SPOKANE, Wash - State employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine now have a way to request religious and medical exemptions. } 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. Please contact dining@jhu.edu or consult the Hopkins dining webpage if you have additional questions. Similarly, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires an employer to accommodate an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless . The other employees may wind up leaving due to the extra workload. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. I am writing this letter to submit a request for accommodations in the workplace. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { Given ongoing construction in our building and increased dust from it, my allergy symptoms have greatly increased. Religious Accommodation Request Resolution Employee (identified below) has requested an accommodation related to a religious belief, practice, and/or requirement. I am a practicing member of {Religion}. If you have questions or concerns, please contact, Whenever possible, employees should submit vaccine exceptionrequests to OIE at least 30 days in advance of, Johns Hopkins Medicine Compliance Deadlines. Be courteous and professional and show that you are willing to meet your employer halfway. 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). Governor Jay Inslee is requiring thousands of employees to get . The first step in requesting an accommodation in the workplace is to decide how to make the request. 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. An applicant or employee to practice or observe his or her religion. Sabbath Accommodation - Sundown Request - Employee Letter, Seventh-day Adventist Publications on Church - State Subjects. CO/OICs will accommodate . For incoming students, a request must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. The most effective way to monitor religious accommodations is to encourage ongoing communication.Religious accommodations remain in effect through the date included on the approval letter unless the student or employee is notified by the University of a change. Some examples include: Permitting a student or employee to take a particular day or time period off for a religious holiday; Permitting flexible scheduling; and Providing a student or employee with a time and place to pray. If an accommodation would violate a collective bargaining agreement, it would result in an undue hardship. Ashanti McShan, a 17-year old high-school student, was excited about her first day of work at Burger King. student affairs representatives, faculty, managers, and/or supervisors) who participated in the interactive process. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. This catalog is the document of authority for all students and includes undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students. 3 0 obj 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. According to new guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers can push back when there is: HR may speak with supervisors and inquire about whether the person talks about religion at work or has ever asked for specific days off. Always end a letter by thanking your employer for their kind consideration. 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. Thank you for your consideration and understanding in this matter. 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) Religious Exemption letter. Employers can request additional information when religious accommodations are requested, Bunting noted. Please note that accommodation requests received past the deadline will not be considered until afterhousing assignments are determined. Employer's address. Example Letter "Religious Reasonable Accompaniment Form" Please print or type the enclosed Letter, and attach it to the Religious Reasonable Accommodation form and fax it to: New Jersey Department of Corrections. This is a matter of considerable importance and urgency to me. PO Box 81489 Middlesex, NJ 08 Fax Number: Your accommodation request will be reviewed by your . A quick Q & A on religious exemptions. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 5511 >> 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. That being said, you should write your exemption letter in your own words according . Hiring and Staffing Dept. If students are sabbath-observant, they must make this fact known to their professors for any course in which Saturday work is required. She had just been hired as a cashier at the fast-food restaurant. 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. Contact the University Chaplains Office only if there is a conflict in making the accommodations for a religious/cultural observance. 2000(e) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees religious observances. 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. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other academic requirement. c. Types of Accommodation Requests. JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Request for Religious Accommodation . 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.

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