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. 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. There are many types of accommodations. Other objective reasons that a request isn't for religious reasons might include if the worker says he or she only puts organic substances into his or her body, defining organic substances as those that come from dirt. Be aware of differences in state law. You are exclusively responsible and bear all risks associated with any user-generated content you submit or read. 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. An official website of the United States government. Given ongoing construction in our building and increased dust from it, my allergy symptoms have greatly increased. 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. State that your request is not costly, inconvenient, or unsafe in any way, and should therefore be granted. The University may request the student provide information to support the need for an accommodation based on the student's sincerely held religious belief. 4. 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. Edit your religious accommodation approval letter online Type text, add images, blackout confidential details, add comments, highlights and more. 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. 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. 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. {Your Address} Monitoring the Religious AccommodationBecause changes occur, student affairs representatives and employers may need to periodically check on the ongoing effectiveness of religious accommodations. Please let me know your decision at your earliest convenience. a permanent position. 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 . 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. 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? Request for Religious Accommodation . An employer doesn't have to provide a religious accommodation if it poses an undue hardship to a business. So you can pray. 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. [Company name] (the Company) has engaged in good faith written and/or oral communications Hiring and Staffing Dept. 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. In Exodus 20, the Bible commands us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, and to refrain from work on that day. If the employer discovers the employee lied, then the employer has an additional factor to consider. 6. 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. {Your Phone #} x][s} d =@_(3"I7ZqOnmY.=s@C`0NT6_w5_/O?a(Km~]Wy]]? 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. I would like to request accommodations so that I might be able to perform my job effectively before my performance starts to suffer. Employers can request additional information when religious accommodations are requested, Bunting noted. 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. 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. } For incoming students, a request must be made at the earliest possible opportunity after admission. 3. Would you please let me know in the next week? T hank you for considering my request. (3) A request for the accommodation of religious practices may be granted in whole or in part. This catalog is the document of authority for all students and includes undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students. Change employee to a shift or department that does not operate on Friday night or Saturday. When May an Employer Reject a Religious Accommodation Request? Leading up to the holiday, Hopkins Dining will refine their planning and will distribute full details to students prior to the beginning of Ramadan. PO Box 81489 Middlesex, NJ 08 Fax Number: Your accommodation request will be reviewed by your . 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. Thank you for your consideration and understanding in this matter. 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 . CO/OICs will accommodate . Your letter should be a formal one, addressed to the right person. A request for a religious accommodation for housing must document: a description of the accommodation you are requesting; Always end a letter by thanking your employer for their kind consideration. I have joined the office 5 months ago. 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. And here is where the vaccine issue becomes even more complicated. 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. 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. 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. Hence, you will need to write a hardship letter religious accommodation discrimination. You are entitled to make this request, and your employer must make these accommodations based on the law of Equal Employment Opportunity. 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. Some examples include: 4. She had just been hired as a cashier at the fast-food restaurant. 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. 02. 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. Dear Professor [last name], I am enrolled in your course [course number]. I am enrolled in your course [course number]. You are encouraged to submit your request for accommodation ten (10) business days following implementation of the vaccination policy. Dear Sir, With utmost respect and honor, it is stated that I work at your renowned company under customer representative designation. Once OIE has all supporting documentation, it will strive for a 5 business day turnaround. 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. Your signature "Try your hardest to accommodate. 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. I would also be open to any other suggestions that you might have. The Orthodox Union certifies the Kosher program and offers lunch and dinner Sundays through Thursdays and lunch on Fridays. 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). Please note that accommodation requests received past the deadline will not be considered until afterhousing assignments are determined. Unlike with disability accommodations, cost often may be a winning undue hardship argument for employers when religious accommodations are requested. However, the rules do stipulate that you must make requests for certain accommodations based on your religious beliefs. Bunting recalled one employee who claimed that being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles was a religion and he needed Sundays off. Staff with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability shall immediately contact their . A lock ( 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; Secular activitiesshopping, sports, employment, and entertainmentare laid aside. Pursuant to DoDI 1300.17, Accommodation of I look forward to hearing from you soon regarding this request. Sabbath Accommodation Request - Employee Letter, Seventh-day Adventist Publications on Church - State Subjects. When we met with you, we discussed what type of accommodation you . 1-800-669-6820 (TTY) JAN provides free, confidential technical assistance about job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 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 first step is to request an accommodation. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 5511 >> 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. Religious Accommodation Request Resolution Employee (identified below) has requested an accommodation related to a religious belief, practice, and/or requirement. To request a religious accommodation: You must submit the Request for Religious Accommodation Form t o your Departmental HR Manager (DHRM) or their designee. Religious accommodation is covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 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. 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. 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. Sample Accommodation Request Letter. I am informed that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 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. 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. One option that I would propose is [enter request]. 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. Work on Sunday or holidays in place of Saturday. 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. The law requires that employees and employers engage in the Interactive Process. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. Please contact dining@jhu.edu or consult the Hopkins dining webpage if you have additional questions. An employer must try to arrange to allow the employee to meet these religious obligations. Site information is not to be replaced with or considered professional medical advice. 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. Share sensitive 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. 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 . The law protects people who have sincere religious, ethical or moral beliefs. I do not wish to have a conflict between my job duties and my obligations to God. Contact the University Chaplains Office only if there is a conflict in making the accommodations for a religious/cultural observance. This site contains User-Generated Content, meaning any and all information and content that a user submits to the Site. Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. The Jedi religion is listed by the military as one of more than 200 religions it recognizes. Companies, however, have a leg up on public-sector employers when it comes to dealing with religious challenges to vaccine mandates. At JAN, I often discuss options with employees about what might be useful to include and how to clearly explain what accommodation is needed. The letter should make it clear that you are requesting reasonable accommodation in view of your religious beliefs. Homewood Housing Requests:The university recognizes that student observance of their faith may require special consideration for housing assignments. employee-religious-exemption-november-2021 Download Vaccine Religious Exemption Religious beliefs are one freedom protected in the workplace by Title VII of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964. 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. {Your Name} 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. Attach a copy of the policy, highlighting the issue at hand. 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. Document accommodations the employer tried to make and that the employee rejected. The point of dedicating a page for accommodation requests is for your client to know your business more intimately like they know every inch of their personality. The hiring manager had assured her that [] Based on that, state that you are now requesting for Reasonable Accommodation to be made within your company. The religious accommodation request, if filed with an employment agency, may be submitted to the agency to whom the employee currently has a personnel management relationship. Any academic unit may issue additional or more specific information that is consistent with approved policy. I have the interest of the company at heart. Gain the intel you need now to successfully anticipate and navigate employment laws, stay compliant and mitigate legal risks. Religious accommodations can take many forms. 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. 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. In addition, it . a description of the accommodation you are requesting; the reason you need an accommodation; and. 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,. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); 2000(e) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees religious observances. 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. 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. 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. The Department's reasonable accommodation policy is outlined within Personnel Bulletin 21-03 Processing Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities. I would like to work with you to explore how I can meet the requirements of your course while still honoring my religious practice. Bunting noted that companies that previously placed employees on unpaid leave when they declined COVID-19 vaccinations for religious reasons are now bringing them back to the workplace. Consider the request. c. Types of Accommodation Requests. 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. Employer's name Rising sophomores (Class of 2025): Thursday, March 3, 2022, Incoming students (Class of 2026 and transfer sophomores): TBD. 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. Train managers to recognize religious exemption requests and to refer them to HR. Kosher Meal Plans: The university offers severalKosher meal plan optionsthat can be used at the The Taam Tov section of theHopkins Cafe. Embed Request Forms in Your Site. However, writing such an initial request can feel intimidating and employees can get nervous about what to include in the letter and how to word it. The purpose of an accommodation request is to allow the requesting employee to perform certain job duties, either in their current role or in a position they are seeking.
religious accommodation request letter sample
religious accommodation request letter sample
