nd OIE will do its best to respond in a timely manner. Thank you for your consideration and understanding in this matter. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { 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. State that your request is not costly, inconvenient, or unsafe in any way, and should therefore be granted. 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. Students and employees must generally submit religious accommodation requests annually. 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. 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. } If employees have submitted a request for reasonable or religious accommodation due to the inability to comply with mandatory testing, they may request permission to remain off work, using their own leave credits or . 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. a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. This is likely to be your HR representative, but do check on that first. The first step in requesting an accommodation in the workplace is to decide how to make the request. 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. 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. The law requires that educational institutions must develop policies to accommodate student absences to allow students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized . For that reason, I am requesting a religious accommodation, under Title VII and any similar [state where employer located] state law (s), that will excuse me from having to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and further request that no adverse employment action be taken against me on account of my religious beliefs. Attach a copy of the policy, highlighting the issue at hand. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other academic requirement. 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 writing this letter to submit a request for accommodations in the workplace. 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. In an effort to meet individual students needs, Housing Operations will work directly with the Office of Institutional Equity and the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life for assigning students who are approved for religion-based housing accommodations.To request a religious-based housing accommodation, students should submit the Homewood Campus: University Housing Religious Accommodation Request Form to the Office of Institutional Equity by the following deadlines based on their class. Questions regarding applying for housing should be directed to Housing Operations at (410) 516-7960 or housing@jhu.edu. Describe what you expect this reasonable accommodation to be. I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this request. 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. c. Types of Accommodation Requests. 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. Based on that, state that you are now requesting for Reasonable Accommodation to be made within your company. The Interactive Process is the way in which employees, supervisors, and their departments arrive at a reasonable accommodation. I have experienced an increase in fatigue, as well as eye irritation. Would you please let me know in the next week? Any academic unit may issue additional or more specific information that is consistent with approved policy. However, the law does stipulate that the employer only has to conform if the accommodation will not cause the company any undue hardship. information only on official, secure websites. 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. 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 . Under the Equal Employment regulations, I am entitled to accommodations provided that they do not cause undue hardship to the company. Expand your toolbox with the tools and techniques needed to fix your organizations unique needs. $(document).ready(function () { In addition, it . Site information is not to be replaced with or considered professional medical advice. Leading up to the holiday, Hopkins Dining will refine their planning and will distribute full details to students prior to the beginning of Ramadan. The Justice Centre does not have a standard template to address such individual beliefs. The hiring manager had assured her that [] 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. As such, I am unable to {work on Sunday mornings, shave my beard, etc.}. Edit your religious accommodation approval letter online Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. This isn't really a religious request, so the employer can push back and request a letter from a faith leader, she said. 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 incoming students, a request must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. Religious Accommodation Request Resolution Employee (identified below) has requested an accommodation related to a religious belief, practice, and/or requirement. 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. 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. 4. [1] Faculty/staff are hereafter referred to as employee(s).[2] Students who cannot take a quiz, test, or final exam on a scheduled date due to a religious observance must inform OIE of any conflicts before the semesters add/drop deadline, or as soon as possible after a particular assignment or examination date is announced. % Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. Recognizing a Religious Accommodation RequestThe Office of Institutional Equity ("OIE") receives and reviews all religious accommodation requests, including but not limited to vaccine exceptionrequests. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: A request for a religious accommodation for dining must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. For Airmen seeking a religious accommodation request, chaplains play a critical role in ensuring each request is fully considered in accordance with DAFI 52-201, Religious Freedom in the Department of the Air Force. When we met with you, we discussed what type of accommodation you . Religious Accommodation Request Form A reasonable religious accommodation is a change in the work environment or in the way tasks or responsibilities are customarily done that enables an employee to participate in their religious practice or belief without undue hardship on the conduct of the university's business or operation. The VMS will be accessible via the myJH portal when it goes live on July 1. 4. Although a manager may consider it reasonable to permit me to have, say, every other Saturday off work, this would not actually accommodate my belief, since I cannot work on any Sabbath. Share sensitive a permanent position. Financial Hardship Examples, Samples and Articles, Writing A Hardship Letter Religious Accommodation Discrimination, Writing A Hardship Letter Property Repairs. 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. Be aware of differences in state law. General Information Catalog IT Policies, Standards, and Guidelines A medical certification of both the underlying health condition and the necessity of an accommodation would likely be needed to support a request to be excused from a masking requirement. Employer's address. This letter is in reply to your request for accommodation approval. Hiring and Staffing Dept. Scheduling accommodations may involve: 1. This is a matter of considerable importance and urgency to me. CBP Applicant: An applicant requesting religious accommodation for any stage of the application process must submit a request for religious accommodation to the Indianapolis or Minneapolis Hiring Center, as applicable. 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. Second, the religious belief must be "sincerely held" to be entitled to accommodation. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); Religious beliefs may exempt you from participating in certain functions or completing certain actions. I have joined the office 5 months ago. Once OIE has all supporting documentation, it will strive for a 5 business day turnaround. I am writing to request religious accommodation for my observance of Sabbath. Requested accommodations vary - an employee may need a particular day off each year for a religious holiday; or to refrain from work every week on his or her Sabbath; or to wear religious garb; or to have a place to pray. For incoming students, a request must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. The Interactive Process can begin in a number of ways. Gathering InformationOIE asks students and employees to complete the religious accommodation request form. }\_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 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. The law protects people who have sincere religious, ethical or moral beliefs. He has requested a schedule that would accommodate his religious observance of . the type of workplace and the nature of the employee's duties, including whether the employee requesting a religious accommodation to a COVID-19 vaccination requirement works outdoors or indoors . 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. 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). 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? [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. Once OIE has all supporting documentation, it will strive for a 5 business day turnaround. It's been wonderful working here, everyone is very supporting and company really acknowledges employees work. If the employer discovers the employee lied, then the employer has an additional factor to consider. On [enter date or dates] we will be observing [name of holiday]. 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. Hence, you will need to write a hardship letter religious accommodation discrimination. Please contact dining@jhu.edu or consult the Hopkins dining webpage if you have additional questions. 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. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); 3. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These beliefs must be sincerely held, and an individuals pattern of conduct consistent with those beliefs will help to prove that they are sincerely held. Your session has expired. Housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs may limit occupancy to members as. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. 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 . Johns Hopkins UniversityWyman Park Building, Suite 5153400 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21218, If you wish to submit proof of your COVID-19 vaccination or request a religious exception for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement, please do so via the Universitys. Religious Exemption Letter. Professional Studies and Executive Education, American University's United Methodist Affiliation, submit an online request for reasonable religious accommodations. Step 4. For example, an applicant may ask to reschedule an interview that is on a religious holiday or an employee may request an exception to a "no hats" rule to wear a religious head covering, such as a yarmulke or hijab. The interactive process starts when a student or employeesubmits a religious accommodation request. Moreover, I am informed that the Federal Courts have held a reasonable accommodation is one that eliminates the conflict between the job duties and a workers religion. employee-religious-exemption-november-2021 Download Vaccine Religious Exemption This form asks for information on the specific religious belief or conviction - whether religious, spiritual, or philosophical - that is the basis of the request, as well as the requestedaccommodation or modification to policy, practice, or schedule. (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. Sabbath observance is so important to Adventists that it is part of our churchs name, i.e., Seventh-day.. 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 Your letter should be a formal one, addressed to the right person. And here is where the vaccine issue becomes even more complicated. 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. 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. Explain that you would like an accommodation to allow you to practice your religion at work. 3. Governor Jay Inslee is requiring thousands of employees to get . 6. }, I believe that such a request would not be unsafe, inconvenient, or costly. Hence, your letter should also explain how your request will only pose a minor burden. Employers can push backgentlyon religious accommodation requests and don't have to grant requests that would result in an undue hardship, which is much easier for employers to show for religious accommodation requests than disability accommodation requests. The accommodation [will begin or began] on [date] and end based upon future doctor visits. Don't be afraid to gently question the sincerity of the religion. This template letter is not intended to give legal advice, but rather general legal information and serve as a general resource. And, it is also for encouraging and enticing your clients to visit your place of business as well. The first step is to request an accommodation. 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. To have your request for a religious academic/workplace accommodation considered, please review the following process: 1. 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. This site contains User-Generated Content, meaning any and all information and content that a user submits to the Site. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. {Your Loan #}. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? Your signature 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. 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. 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. You are entitled to make this request, and your employer must make these accommodations based on the law of Equal Employment Opportunity. The Office of the University Chaplain has communicated to the faculty via the Provosts office a list of major religious holy days. As we approach the winter months, however, the sun sets earlier than at present. The extent to which an employer must accommodate an employees religious objection to taking a vaccine will be dependent on the specific circumstances of the employment.. A lock ( Sincerely, It was created to assist you while you are recovering. The University may request the student provide information to support the need for an accommodation based on the student's sincerely held religious belief. M`f"_qy7iSvvhBnq>!I+b"j0GL1Hy=3qIRrK{ 7\p% $K'@? < e/q[4T5iC`t`]fX`W_da(dk5 GadSh7(C/?. For Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers: 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. {Your Phone #} Implementing the Religious AccommodationTo communicate the final accommodation, OIE will issue in writing a religious accommodation approval letter to the employee or student, and copy those relevant individuals (i.e. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to engage in an interactive process. Please note:To receive a religious accommodation, the religious observance must be one required by one's religious tradition. 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. I would also be open to any other suggestions that you might have.