Employers that are requiring vaccinations have been receiving requests for exemptions based on medical leave or sincerely held religious beliefs. Up to now, employers did not know what was permissible to ask regarding sincerely held religious beliefs. On October 25, 2021, The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) greatly updated and expanded its technical assistance related to COVID-19 and the pandemic by finally providing formal guidance. The new section “L” is entitled Vaccinations – Title VII and Religious Objections to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and provides useful links to federal regulations. As has been common with government information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the EEOC uses a question and answer format to address issues and provide useful information to employers who are mandating vaccinations.
