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Do you have a vaccine mandate deadline approaching? Are you wondering what your options are?
You may qualify for a religious or medical exemption and not even know it.
How you fill out the paperwork plays a key role in whether your exemption is approved. Our legal team is offering free consultations. Learn how to complete paperwork and frame your request in a way that addresses the requirements. Contact us for a free consultation.
Vaccine Mandates, Deadlines and Exemptions
Deadlines are fast approaching for thousands of employees subject to vaccine mandates. Using the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), government officials have issued a sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate applies to federal government employees, government contractors, and private employers with 100 or more workers.
In South Carolina, 50.8% of the population is fully vaccinated. (Mayo Clinic, November 2021) For those who have chosen not to receive a vaccine, they may wonder what their options are when it comes to their job and vaccine mandates.
There are exemptions in the vaccine mandate. Employees may qualify for a religious or medical exemption that excuses them from getting a vaccine while staying on the job.
To receive the exemption, you must request it. To make your request successful, you must state it in a way that meets the legal requirements.
How To Get a Religious or Medical Exemption to the Covid-19 Vaccine
To get a religious or medical exemption to the Covid-19 vaccine, you must complete exemption paperwork. You submit the paperwork to your employer. The employer determines whether to grant the request. For this reason, how you complete the paperwork is extremely important.
Legal Standards for Vaccine Exemptions
What qualifies as a religious exemption to the Covid vaccine?
What qualifies as a religious exemption to the Covid vaccine is a sincerely-held belief that getting the vaccine goes against your religion. The exemption comes from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law protects workers from discrimination because of religion.
One common issue is that the vaccines may have been developed using fetal cells. Other objections may concern vaccines in general. The employer can inquire into whether the belief is sincere.
What qualifies as a medical exemption to the Covid vaccine?
A medical exemption to the Covid vaccine falls under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An employer must provide reasonable accommodation to a person with a disability unless it creates an undue hardship. Federal employers must comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The person requesting the exemption may need to provide health records explaining the nature of the impairment, the risks of the vaccine, and the need for an exemption.
Attorneys for Help with Covid Vaccine Exemption
Employers have discretion in granting and denying Covid vaccine exemptions. How you complete your paperwork can have a big impact on whether your request is granted.
If you are looking for guidance about applying for a Covid vaccine exemption, we’re here to help. Contact us for a free consultation.