Creative Responses to Religious Exemption Requests

Sep 30, 2021, 3:01 PM

(from NPR) Some employers are taking creative approaches to handling requests for an exemption from COVID-19 vaccination. At one hospital in Arkansas, 45 workers said they objected to the use of fetal cells in the vaccine research. The employer shared with those employees a list of common medications, such as Tylenol, Motrin, aspirin and Benadryl, that used the same scientific methods in development, and asked them to sign a document attesting that they were consistent in their beliefs. The heads of major religions have largely endorsed COVID-19 vaccines, but that does not impact the employer's decision, because religious exemptions ultimately come down to an employee's personal belief and whether an employer can find a reasonable accommodation.