religious exemption News

Federal Judges Uphold Status Quo in Rulings on 3 New York COVID Vaccine Mandates

Federal judges issued three different decisions on New York state and city requirements for Covid-19 vaccinations, upholding the status quo as the contentious issue winds it way through the court system. New York City’s program requiring proof of vaccination to …

Biden Administration Releases Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate and Exemptions

With just weeks remaining before federal workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19, the federal government has outlined procedures for employees to request medical or religious exemptions from President Joe Biden’s mandate. The Office of Management and Budget released the new …

Religious Exemptions Grow as COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Rise

An estimated 2,600 Los Angeles Police Department employees are citing religious objections to try to get out of the required COVID-19 vaccination. In Washington state, thousands of state workers are seeking similar exemptions. And in Arkansas, a hospital has been …

Judge Temporarily Blocks New York Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

A U.S. judge in New York on Tuesday temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a requirement that healthcare workers receive COVID-19 vaccines against the wishes of employees with religious objections. U.S. District Judge David Hurd in Utica, New York in …

What’s an Employer to Do If Workers Avoid COVID Vaccine?

What can employers do if workers avoid COVID-19 vaccines? They can require vaccination and fire employees who don’t comply, or take other actions such as withholding company perks or charging extra for health insurance. Businesses for months have been encouraging …

Employers Get Religion With Vaccine Mandates

As coronavirus infections rise again, U.S. companies mandating vaccinations are confronting an uncomfortable question rarely asked by an employer – what is an employee’s religious belief? Google’s parent Alphabet Inc., Walmart Inc., and Tyson Foods Inc. are among the growing …

EEOC Releases Updated Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccinations and Employment Laws

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released updated guidance on the responsibilities and rights of employers and employees related to the COVID-19 vaccine, including in cases where employers require employees to be vaccinated. The publication, “What You Should Know …

Supreme Court Supports Employers’ Religious Rights in Contraception, Teacher Employment

The U.S. Supreme Court struck two blows for religious rights, including a decision that upholds Trump administration rules giving employers a broad right to refuse to offer birth control through their health plans. The justices also gave religious organizations a …

Next LGBT Legal Battle for Supreme Court Will Be Religious Exemptions: Analysis

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling protecting LGBT rights in the workplace sets the stage for another major legal fight over the scope of religious-rights exemptions to certain federal laws that could dilute the landmark decision’s impact. The justices ruled 6-3 …

Supreme Court to Weigh Scope of Religious Shield from Employee Bias Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider giving religious organizations a bigger exemption from discrimination suits, accepting appeals from two Roman Catholic grade schools fighting bias claims after firing teachers. The appeals by Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Los …