EEOC Issues New Guidance For Employers On COVID Vaccine Mandates
Last week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released new guidance for employers on how to handle religious objections to company COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The guidance makes clear that if an employer has an objective basis for questioning either the religious nature or the sincerity of a particular belief, the employer may make a limited factual inquiry and request additional supporting information.
The guidance further clarifies exactly when an employee’s request for religious accommodation constitutes an “undue hardship.”
The guidance comes as U.S. employers await the release of a federal vaccine mandate. As Connecting the Dots reported previously, this mandate is likely to require employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is either vaccinated against COVID-19 or is tested on a weekly basis.
Stay tuned to Connecting the Dots for more information once that rule is released.