Many employers are adopting a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy, or they are required by owners, contractors, developers, or state, local or federal government to adopt such a policy for employees working on particular projects.  The recognized exceptions to mandatory vaccination policies are for employees who have a medical condition, or employees who have a religious objection to the COVID-19 vaccination.

If an employee is entitled to an exemption from a mandatory vaccine policy because of a medical condition, the employer must determine if a reasonable accommodation exists so that the employee can continue to work without the vaccination.  Similarly, when an employee is entitled to an exemption because of a sincerely held religious belief, the employer should determine if a reasonable accommodation exists.

Title VII prohibits religious discrimination and requires an employer to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s religious beliefs.  A similar obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation exists under the ADA for a qualified employee’s known physical or mental limitations.  “Undue hardship” is the limitation on the obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation under both Title VII and the ADA.  However, the criteria for “undue hardship” are very different between Title VII and the ADA.

Under the ADA, undue hardship means an action that requires significant difficulty or expense.  Accommodations may cause an undue hardship if the accommodation is unduly expensive, substantial, disruptive, or will fundamentally alter the nature or operation of the business.  The factors that are to be considered in determining whether an undue hardship exists include (1) nature of the accommodation; (2) the cost of the accommodation; (3) the employer’s financial resources; (4) the size of the business; and (5) the operation of the business.

Another important aspect of the analysis under the ADA is whether the presence of an unvaccinated employee in the workplace poses a direct threat to the employee or others.  A direct threat is defined as “a significant risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of the individual or others that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.”  Assessment of whether there is a direct threat is very fact-based and dependent upon individual circumstances.  Among the factors to be considered is the type of work environment, whether the employee works with others, the ability to social distance, the extent of contact an employee has with co-workers, and whether the employee works indoors or outdoors.

If an unvaccinated employee poses a direct threat to themselves or others, the employer must ascertain if a reasonable accommodation is possible.  If the employee does not pose a direct threat, the employer must allow the unvaccinated employee to perform their work at the employer’s location.

In contrast, there is a much lower standard for undue hardship under Title VII when dealing with a religious belief.  Under Title VII, an undue hardship requires only “more than de minimus cost.”  Thus, the burden on an employer to accommodate a religious objection to a COVID-19 vaccination is lower than the burden to accommodate a disability-related objection to a COVID-19 vaccination.

Despite the difference in the criteria for determining undue hardship in the case of religious objection vs. medical exemption, the accommodations for an unvaccinated employee are most likely the same.  Reasonable accommodations for both exceptions could include social distancing, working remotely, masking, weekly COVID testing, moving the employee to an isolated work location, reassignment, or changing work hours.  The difference is that if a reasonable accommodation for a sincerely held religious belief results in more than a minimal cost, the employer does not have to provide that accommodation.  On the other hand, if the accommodation is requested because of an employee’s medical condition, the burden the employer must accept is much higher under the ADA.

An employer should engage in an interactive dialogue with the employee requesting an exemption, whether the request is based on a medical condition or a religious objection.  Regardless of the basis, the employer must consider which accommodations may be possible and discuss the options with the employee.

Conclusion

Employees have the right to request an exemption from a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy because of a disability or because of a sincerely held religious belief.  When a request for an exemption is made, employers must assess whether a reasonable accommodation exists such that an unvaccinated employee can continue to work, or whether such accommodations pose an undue hardship to the employer.  While the standards for undue hardship are different when analyzing a religious objection vs an exemption for a medical condition, the accommodations may not be that different.  Regardless of the basis for the exemption request, an employer should document the request, the reason(s) for the request, any documentation submitted by the employee, and the accommodations which were considered.  An accommodation can be reasonable for one employee, but not reasonable for another employee because of the nature of their jobs and the location of their work areas.

For more information regarding reasonable accommodations for religious exemptions please see: An Employer’s Guide to Addressing Requests for Religious Exemption From a Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Policy.

Please reach out to Phyllis is you have any questions regarding your labor and employment issues.  Phyllis can be reached at pkarasov@larkinhoffman.com or 952-896-1569.