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. Your letter should be a formal one, addressed to the right person. I anticipate this arrangement would be necessary for only 5 or 6 weeks, or until the sun starts to set after 5:00 p.m. According to company policy at {Company Name}, I am required to {participate in function/religious event, follow certain dress codes, work on certain days, work certain hours, etc.}. The first step in requesting an accommodation in the workplace is to decide how to make the 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. Additional information may be requested if needed to evaluate the request. We have reviewed the attached case file and recommend action on SSgt Alpha's request for religious accommodation from compliance with Air Force grooming standards be deferred pending his imminent transfer of duty stations. 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. If the employer discovers the employee lied, then the employer has an additional factor to consider. Sabbath Accommodation Request - Employee Letter DATE EMPLOYER NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE RE: (YOUR NAME) Dear (NAME): I am writing to request religious accommodation for my observance of Sabbath. I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this request. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: a description of the accommodation you are requesting; Thank you for considering my request. LockA locked padlock Edit your religious accommodation approval letter online Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. A quick Q & A on religious exemptions. Make sure that you make it very clear what it is that you cannot comply with and why. A letter from a religious leader of the faith community to which the student is a member stating the need for an exemption. a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. 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 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.. Employees requesting a religious accommodation shall immediately contact their local Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. The Sabbath is sacred to me and I devote these hours to God. I am grateful for my job, and always strive to do my very best at work. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The Department of the Air Force is processing a number of Religious Accommodation Requests for the COVID-19 vaccine. 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. 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. 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. 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. The law protects people who have sincere religious, ethical or moral beliefs. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? Sample Accommodation Request Letter: Allergies Date of Letter Your name Your address Employer's name Employer's address Dear [Insert employer's name here]: Given ongoing construction in our building and increased dust from it, my allergy symptoms have greatly increased. I am enrolled in your course [course number]. For religious exemptions toimmunization requirements, students should submit along with their requests: Please email your request, your letter to President Burwell, andaletter from a leader of your faith community (or a request for consultation with the University Chaplain)to president@american.edu. Hence, your letter should also explain how your request will only pose a minor burden. And, it is also for encouraging and enticing your clients to visit your place of business as well. 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) 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 A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. No attorney-client relationship is created by using the templates. Examples of possible . One option that I would propose is [enter request]. [Company Name] is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any protected status, and a work environment that . x][s} d =@_(3"I7ZqOnmY.=s@C`0NT6_w5_/O?a(Km~]Wy]]? 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. A reasonable religious academic/workplace accommodation is a change in the academic/work environment or in the way academics, tasks or responsibilities are customarily done that enables a student orfaculty/staff[1]to participate in theirreligious practice or belief without undue hardship on the conduct of theUniversity's business or operation. } "Try your hardest to accommodate. He has requested a schedule that would accommodate his religious observance of . Treat every employee's reasonable accommodation request as legitimate on its face. how the accommodation will help resolve the conflict between your religious beliefs or practices and a university policy, procedure, or other academic requirement. OIE may need to discuss the nature of the religious belief(s, practice(s), and accommodation(s) with a student or employee's spiritual leader (if applicable) or religious or philosophy scholars to address the request for an exception. 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. Request for Religious Accommodation . The Department's reasonable accommodation policy is outlined within Personnel Bulletin 21-03 Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities. WASHINGTON (AFNS) --. 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 . I would like to request for accommodations to help decrease the pain caused by my back condition. The first step is to request an accommodation. For Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers: a permanent position. The Jedi religion is listed by the military as one of more than 200 religions it recognizes. Staff with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability shall immediately contact their . 02. 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. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); Workplace distractions interfere with my concentration and focus so I would like to try noise cancelling headphones to minimize sound distractions. Please note:To receive a religious accommodation, the religious observance must be one required by one's religious tradition. 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. The Orthodox Union certifies the Kosher program and offers lunch and dinner Sundays through Thursdays and lunch on Fridays. For instance, your company may have a certain dress code that you cannot adhere to, expect you to work on what is classed as a day of rest in your religion, and so on. 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (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. % 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. Questions regarding applying for housing should be directed to Housing Operations at (410) 516-7960 or housing@jhu.edu. State that your request is not costly, inconvenient, or unsafe in any way, and should therefore be granted. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The University may suggest an alternative accommodation it deems reasonable to accommodate a request. 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. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. Employees may also request workplace adjustments based on other COVID-19 circumstances not related to being in the increased risk category. 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. 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. Sincerely, 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. An employer must try to arrange to allow the employee to meet these religious obligations. 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. 3. 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. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM China "); 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. 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. 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. If an employee is resisting an employer-required COVID-19 vaccine because it was derived from fetal cell lines, the employer might ask whether the employee has received a flu vaccine or has ever taken a medication that was similarly createdand there are many, including aspirin. 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. 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. 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. Religious beliefs may exempt you from participating in certain functions or completing certain actions. 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. This letter is in reply to your request for accommodation approval. Please let me know if you need additional information or would like to discuss additional ideas. 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. 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 . You are entitled to make this request, and your employer must make these accommodations based on the law of Equal Employment Opportunity. 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. Don't be afraid to gently question the sincerity of the religion. 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. Sitting or standing for long periods of time in the same position is causing increased pain and is decreasing my mobility. 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 Vaccine Management System (VMS) that will launch on July 1, 2021. For instance, you may ask for a shift swap, provide a substitute, or ask them to waive the requirement in full. 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. OIE will then gather the necessary informationtoconsiderthe request.