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Tag: unduehardship

Exemption from Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine for religious employees

July 2, 2021

According to the law and guidelines from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), it is possible for employers to require their employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination in most circumstances. This does not mean that all employers will make this a requirement, of course. But, they have the right to do so as a means to help improve the safety of their other employees, clients and customers.

Yet, there are certain exemptions from these mandatory COVID-19 vaccines that can be applied in certain cases. One of these is a religious exemption. Employee who demonstrate that their faith prohibits vaccination, would not automatically be not required to get a vaccine. The EEOC says employers are required to provide reasonable accommodation to these workers if their sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observance prevents vaccination. The only exception would be if the accommodation would create an undue hardship under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Understanding the Religious Accommodation Standards

As the vaccines are being rolled out, more and more employers will likely start to see objections to getting the vaccine. Therefore, it is important for employers, as well as those who are seeking accommodations, to get a better understanding of what the objections entail.

Title VII requires that employers provide accommodations and exemptions to employees that object to the vaccine due to their religious beliefs. It is important to note the term “sincerely held religious belief” in these instances.

According to the EEOC, the definition of religion can go beyond just membership in a certain church or a belief in God. It could also include moral and ethical beliefs that are sincerely held. An example of this might be someone who has moral beliefs that they should not have certain substances and chemicals injected into them. This increases the potential number of people that might attempt to use religious exemptions as a means to not get the vaccine.

Can Employers Question the Sincerely Held Religious Beliefs of an Employee?

This is a tricky area of the law, and it is important that employers do not attempt to contact someone’s place of worship, and that they don’t question an employee incorrectly. Most of the time, employers will assume that the objection based on religious beliefs is honest.

However, there may be times that an employer has a reason to question whether the employee is being sincere or if it is truly the nature of their religion. It’s best to have legal counsel to help with these matters. If there is an objection to the employee’s beliefs, the employee can provide written materials and forms to provide a further explanation. Again, employers will only want to broach this subject after talking with an attorney.

Options for Reasonable Accommodation 

What are some of the various types of reasonable accommodations that could be provided for the employees? Many options are potentially available. Of course, because there are so many different types of workplaces, there could be many different types of accommodations that could work. This also means that not all reasonable accommodations will work for all work environments.

One of the simplest options that can work for some employers would be to allow the employees to wear masks and continue to socially distance themselves while in the workplace. Another option that could work for some types of work would be remote working. 2020 proved that remote work can be a good option for many types of companies.

Many businesses have already set up these types of systems and have been using them for their employees for months. They could simply allow those who do not want to get the vaccine based on their religious beliefs to continue working from a remote location.

Another option that might work for certain employers would be to provide an isolated area for that employee to work. This can ensure that they do not come into contact with others in the workplace. This solution will not work for all employers, of course.

When employers are coming up with potential reasonable accommodations, they must also make sure that they are legitimate options that will help the employee and their business. They cannot be retaliatory to “punish” an employee for not getting the vaccine.

What is Undue Hardship?

The limit to providing reasonable accommodations would be when those accommodations would present a hardship to the employer under Title VII. Employers cannot simply claim that they would have a hardship, though. They are required to show how making the accommodation for the employee would cause them undue hardship because of an exceedingly high cost or because it would cause problems with the operation of the business. The same would be true if the accommodation would compromise safety in the workplace, or if it infringes on the rights of other employees. If the accommodation requires that other employees do more than their usual share of work in place of the exempt employee, it could be considered undue hardship as well. The same would be true if the efficiency of the workplace decreases because of the accommodations.

The standard of proof for an undue hardship under Title VII does tend to be lower than when trying to meet undue hardship requirements for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Because it can sometimes be difficult to prove whether there is hardship in these cases.

Talk with an Attorney

Those employers who want to make sure they are abiding by the law when it comes to employees requesting reasonable accommodations for religious reasons will want to speak with an attorney.

Employees who worry that an employer is not providing them with reasonable accommodations or who is trying to force a vaccine despit

Breaking It Down: Georgia Paid Lactation Breaks

November 9, 2020

Thanks to the relevatively recently enacted paid lactation breaks law, providing lactation breaks is required of all employers in Georgia.

Lactation breaks were already required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and most states have followed suit. Now, however, Georgia is taking it a step further and adding more protection to its law for the sake of its employees. O.C.G.A. § 34-1-6. Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know.

The Battle for Breastfeeding

There has been an ongoing debate for years over the propriety of breastfeeding in public, in the workplace, or anywhere other than the comfort of home. However, as this is a natural and necessary part of motherhood for many, it is unfair and illegal to discriminate against women who need to take additional breaks in the workplace or have some type of support to allow them to handle their lactation needs.

The battle for equality in the workplace has been raging for years and may never fully become realized entirely, but at least for now, those who need lactation breaks can trust that they will get them. The FLSA has had a provision in place for some time that mandates that employers allow lactation breaks in a space other than a bathroom. However, this does not require those breaks nor require that they be paid, simply to be provided as they are needed to any woman who is nursing and may need to take a break as a result.

Georgia Takes It Further

The initial law in Georgia was a permissive provision that followed the exact parameters of the FLSA requirement. For a while, that worked for the state. However, it has recently updated the lactation breaks law to include paid breaks for all employees. Under the new guidelines, the law states that:

  • Employees must be given breaks of a “reasonable duration”

  • Breaks should be paid at their regular compensation rate

  • Breaks are not mandated when employees are working away from the main worksite

  • Employers cannot reduce pay or force employees to use paid leave to cover lactation breaks, even for salaried and exempt employees

  • A private location, other than a bathroom, needs to be provided

There is also a provision in the new law for smaller employers with fewer than 50 employees permitting them to follow this code, so long as it does not cause “undue hardship” to the business. Companies will need to consider their size, resources, and nature of business to determine whether they have any situations that would qualify as undue hardship, but this is typically decided on a case-by-case basis.

The employer does still have some say in what is deemed “reasonable” and “necessary”, of course, but for the most part, employees can take the breaks that they need, when they need them. If they are a Georgia employee, they are now also going to get paid for that time.

To make sure that the FLSA is expanded upon properly, Georgia also put provisions to prevent a one-year cap on this allowance. Instead, employees can continue to take the breaks for as long as reasonably necessary. Georgia, and all states, can provide this greater benefit because the FLSA does not preempt any state laws offering better protection. The FLSA is the minimum standard, and nothing more.

The FLSA does provide protection from retaliation for employees. If an employer is not pleased with having to provide these breaks, they may try to dock the employee’s pay or retaliate against them in another way. The FLSA prohibits this behavior, and as noted above, the new Georgia law reinforces that no one can be penalized for taking these breaks, including exempt and salaried employees.

New Times Call for New Considerations

As the public health crisis continues to put the emphasis on people first, companies are starting to come around to better benefits, such as in the case of the updated paid lactation breaks law in the state of Georgia. Things are changing. As a result, previously contentious topics like lactation breaks are now coming to the forefront hoping to be impacted positively by the wave of change.

It will be a matter of time until the benefits of this new law are seen firsthand, but it already gives working nursing mothers more peace of mind.