EEOC Issues New COVID-19 Guidance on Religious Objections to Vaccine Mandates
MSK Client Alert
October 27, 2021
An increase in workplace mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies has yielded an increase in employees’ requests for special exemptions. This week, the EEOC issued updated guidance on how employers should handle religious objections to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The guidance explains how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion, applies. Under Title VII, employers are required to provide employees with reasonable accommodations based on “sincerely held” religious beliefs absent any “undue hardship” to their operations. Here is a breakdown of the new guidance:
