I am writing to request religious accommodation for my observance of Sabbath. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 5511 >> 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. 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. I would like to request for accommodations to help decrease the pain caused by my back condition. You are exclusively responsible and bear all risks associated with any user-generated content you submit or read. 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. 10 Examples of Religious Exemption Requests for Covid-19 Vaccines In the United States, employers have the responsibility to create a safe and unbiased work environment for people of different races and beliefs. a permanent position. This site contains User-Generated Content, meaning any and all information and content that a user submits to the Site. Date of Letter Sabbath Accommodation - Sundown Request - Employee Letter, Seventh-day Adventist Publications on Church - State Subjects. [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. I have experienced an increase in fatigue, as well as eye irritation. American University will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations to students whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a university policy, procedure, or other academic requirement unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship. }, I believe that such a request would not be unsafe, inconvenient, or costly. 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. 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. It covers COVID-19 vaccine requirements and mandates, too. I have been having medical issues that have affected my mood, sleep schedule, concentration, and focus. 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. In addition, having a list of what I might need to do for the workday/week could also help me keep track of my work. An employer must try to arrange to allow the employee to meet these religious obligations. Washington, DC 20507 Work on Sunday or holidays in place of Saturday. 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. A letter from a religious leader of the faith community to which the student is a member stating the need for an exemption. An employee may Student Vaccine ExceptionRequests:Whenever possible, students should submit vaccine exceptionrequests to OIE at least 30 days in advance of Pre-Entrance Health Requirement Deadlines and OIE will do its best to respond in a timely manner. I have pain in my lower back. Below is a guide with suggestions and sample answers to help you complete your COVID vaccine religious exemption request using the Department of Defense 'DD 3177 Religious Exemption Form' along with notes to help you avoid the obvious "pitfalls" weaved into this document to undermine your ability to obtain a religious exemption. Religious beliefs may exempt you from participating in certain functions or completing certain actions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Consider the request. However, I cannot receive a COVID-19 vaccine because to do so would violate my sincerely held religious beliefs. An employer doesn't have to provide a religious accommodation if it poses an undue hardship to a business. Here in Canada the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) offers this advice: The religious objections held by individuals to specific vaccines will vary significantly. An employer that rejects such a request should be OK if it's sued in such circumstances, and it likely will be sued, she added. 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. Sign it in a few clicks Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. State that your request is not costly, inconvenient, or unsafe in any way, and should therefore be granted. 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. Please note that accommodation requests received past the deadline will not be considered until afterhousing assignments are determined. The Sabbath is sacred to me and I devote these hours to God. 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. 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. I do not wish to have a conflict between my job duties and my obligations to God. For instance, you may ask for a shift swap, provide a substitute, or ask them to waive the requirement in full. This sample letter can be used to ask your employer or prospective workplace for reasonable accommodations you need in the hiring process or for your job. 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 . Bunting recalled one employee who claimed that being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles was a religion and he needed Sundays off. Make a temporary accommodation while a permanent one is being arranged. Professional Studies and Executive Education, American University's United Methodist Affiliation, submit an online request for reasonable religious accommodations. Your letter should be a formal one, addressed to the right person. (1) Observances of Worship and Holy Days. The accommodation [will begin or began] on [date] and end based upon future doctor visits. However, the rules do stipulate that you must make requests for certain accommodations based on your religious beliefs. 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. 5. When we met with you, we discussed what type of accommodation you . (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. 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. Some examples include: 4. You should consult an attorney for legal advice specific to your . 5. 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,. 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. x][s} d =@_(3"I7ZqOnmY.=s@C`0NT6_w5_/O?a(Km~]Wy]]? A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: a description of the accommodation you are requesting; It has become more difficult to breathe while in the office, even in my own personal office. 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. 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. 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. Be courteous and professional and show that you are willing to meet your employer halfway. [Company Name] is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any protected status, and a work environment that . Reasonable religious accommodation requests will be made on a casebycase basis taking into account factors including but not limited to: nature of the accommodation requested; duration of the request; timeliness of the request; alternative accommodations; financial impact; academic impact; and other related factors. 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. 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; For example. Thank you in advance for accommodating my request. Religious Accommodation Request Template. For example, if an employer has to hire a temporary worker to cover Saturdays for an employee who misses shifts then for religious reasons, there might be an undue hardship in accommodating the employee, she said. This includes people who belong to traditional, organized religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Sikhism, as well as people who have newer or less common religious beliefs, and atheists. After initiating your religious objection request via the action center and returning the requested documentation, a representative from Employee and Labor Relations will respond to requests for religious exceptions from staff employees and Academic Personnel will respond to requests for religious exceptions from Faculty and other academic Below I have included some possible ideas that could help at my workstation. 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. OIE will then gather the necessary informationtoconsiderthe request. Workplace distractions interfere with my concentration and focus so I would like to try noise cancelling headphones to minimize sound distractions. It was created to assist you while you are recovering. 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. The letter should make it clear that you are requesting reasonable accommodation in view of your religious beliefs. The VMS will be accessible via the myJH portal when it goes live on July 1. WASHINGTON (AFNS) --. Sample Hardship Letter Financial Hardship Letters Writing A Hardship Letter Religious Accommodation Discrimination. 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. Subject: Assertion of Religious Exemption to Vaccination and Request for Accommodation. 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. 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 Department of the Air Force is processing a number of Religious Accommodation Requests for the COVID-19 vaccine. 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 This letter is in reply to your request for accommodation approval. Religious Exemption Letter. Given ongoing construction in our building and increased dust from it, my allergy symptoms have greatly increased. {Your Phone #} "Each of the manufactures of the Covid vaccines currently available developed and confirmed their vaccines using fetal cell lines, which originated from aborted fetuses. This is a matter of considerable importance and urgency to me. But for employees who need more ideas, the following examples offer additional guidance about how to communicate the need for an accommodation for various types of medical conditions. The first step in requesting an accommodation in the workplace is to decide how to make the request. Financial Hardship Examples, Samples and Articles, Writing A Hardship Letter Religious Accommodation Discrimination, Writing A Hardship Letter Property Repairs. 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. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Find your nearest EEOC office 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. The Department's reasonable accommodation policy is outlined within Personnel Bulletin 21-03 Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities. I have joined the office 5 months ago. % I am writing this letter to submit a request for accommodations in the workplace. Request for Accommodation of Religious Practice SAMPLE 1. This isn't really a religious request, so the employer can push back and request a letter from a faith leader, she said. The University may request the student provide information to support the need for an accommodation based on the student's sincerely held religious belief. If students are sabbath-observant, they must make this fact known to their professors for any course in which Saturday work is required. 3. Given the current labor shortage, the employer might not want to lose the employee or have the worker complain about the company on social media, she added. Students are required to check their course syllabi at the beginning of the semester, make any conflicts with religious/cultural observances known to their professors, and discuss arrangements for missed classes or assignments. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. Contact the University Chaplains Office only if there is a conflict in making the accommodations for a religious/cultural observance. 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. 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. I would like to request an exception based on my religious beliefs and practices. An official website of the United States government. I would like to work with you to explore how I can meet the requirements of your course while still honoring my religious practice. 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. Edit your religious accommodation approval letter online Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. State that you are a practicing member of a certain religion. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); I have the interest of the company at heart. Unlike with disability accommodations, cost often may be a winning undue hardship argument for employers when religious accommodations are requested. I am willing to come to work earlier on Fridays, come to work on Sunday, or to cooperate in whatever arrangements may need to be made so I can retain my Sabbath observance according to my convictions. Pursuant to DoDI 1300.17, Accommodation of An applicant or employee to practice or observe his or her religion. Notice of Liability Sample Letter. 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). Dear Professor [last name], I am enrolled in your course [course number]. (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. As we approach the winter months, however, the sun sets earlier than at present. An employer that requires vaccinations against COVID-19 must grant sincere religious accommodation requests, so long as they. 3 0 obj information only on official, secure websites. 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. {Your Name} A final thing to remember is that, as stated, while it is your right to have these accommodations made where possible, you must formally request them. Companies, however, have a leg up on public-sector employers when it comes to dealing with religious challenges to vaccine mandates. Would you please let me know in the next week? Don't be afraid to gently question the sincerity of the religion. Recognizing a Religious Accommodation RequestThe Office of Institutional Equity ("OIE") receives and reviews all religious accommodation requests, including but not limited to vaccine exceptionrequests. Be aware of differences in state law. Make sure that you make it very clear what it is that you cannot comply with and why. Explain that you would like an accommodation to allow you to practice your religion at work. Treat every employee's reasonable accommodation request as legitimate on its face. *If you are a graduate student and the portal does not work for you, please contact Dining to be manually added. Writing A Hardship Letter To Social Security. There is no public health emergency. As this would cause minimal burden for only minor {rescheduling, uniform changes, etc. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. 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. LockA locked padlock Change employee to a shift or department that does not operate on Friday night or Saturday. Thank you for considering my request. 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. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. Ramadan Meal Options:Hopkins Dining is happy to add additional services and holiday specific menu items for students during Ramadan. $(document).ready(function () { Questions regarding applying for housing should be directed to Housing Operations at (410) 516-7960 or housing@jhu.edu. 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 . 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. Kosher Meal Plans: The university offers severalKosher meal plan optionsthat can be used at the The Taam Tov section of theHopkins Cafe. Don't, for example, automatically laugh when an employee says he or she is a follower of the Jedi. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other requirement. Religious Exemption letter. Employers can request additional information when religious accommodations are requested, Bunting noted. {Your Loan #}. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); I would also be open to any other suggestions that you might have. I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and I observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Whatever adjustments need to be made, you can count on me to do everything I can to cooperate fully. Attach a copy of the policy, highlighting the issue at hand. {Your Address} This observance coincides with [name of assignment] that is listed on the syllabus. The Justice Centre does not have a standard template to address such individual beliefs. Particular considerations for different accommodation types include: A request for a religious accommodation for housing must be made before housing is requested. 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. T hank you for considering my request. 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. 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. I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and I observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. There are many types of accommodations. } If an employer has tried everything else, unpaid leave is acceptable. Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. 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 other employees may wind up leaving due to the extra workload. Please enable scripts and reload this page. For Academic accommodations requests, students should seek to make arrangements with the appropriate professors first at the earliest opportunity. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. religious accommodation is met with resentment and jealousy by co-workers it is still a viable solution. } student affairs representatives, faculty, managers, and/or supervisors) who participated in the interactive process. Explain that, under the doctrine of a certain belief in your religion, you cannot perform certain actions, such as shaving your beard or working on Sundays, for example. Erin Mulvaney. 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 . One option that I would propose is [enter request]. As I believe you are aware, I am a Seventh-day Adventist. 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) 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. 01. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to engage in an interactive process. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); } 2000(e) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees religious observances. Your address The law requires that employees and employers engage in the Interactive Process. Scheduling accommodations may involve: 1. 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. 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. 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 . A quick Q & A on religious exemptions. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. 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. a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. M`f"_qy7iSvvhBnq>!I+b"j0GL1Hy=3qIRrK{ 7\p% $K'@? < e/q[4T5iC`t`]fX`W_da(dk5 GadSh7(C/?. 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. To request a religious accommodation: You must submit the Request for Religious Accommodation Form t o your Departmental HR Manager (DHRM) or their designee.
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