EEOC Issues New Guidance on Religious and Pregnancy Vaccine Accommodations! Learn How the Updates Can Help you mitigate Those Exemptions!
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Date
Jan 21, 2022 -
Time
13:00 PM EST -
Duration
90 Min
Now that the
Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) Rule on vaccine mandates for
private Employers with 100+ employees were suspended in November 2021 until
further notice, it is more important than ever that Employers are more aware of
how to mitigate vaccine mandates in the workplace based on the current US Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) mandates.
The EEOC recently
updated its COVID-19 guidance, detailing its view of employer obligations under
Title VII when evaluating religious objections to COVID-19 vaccination
mandates. The EEOC also added guidance on requests for accommodation based on pregnancy
under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
Together, these comprise the second significant update to EEOC’s COVID-19
guidance since the FDA and CDC authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
Employers who
implemented vaccine mandates have faced a tidal wave of requests for religious
exemptions. The sheer volume of requests combined with the difficulty of
separating protected versus unprotected claims, all while respecting an
employee’s stated beliefs, has been a significant challenge for human resources
and legal departments. With these latest updates, made on October 13, and
October 25, 2021, the EEOC has attempted to provide clearer guidance to
employers on accommodation requests.
Although the OSHA Rule
is suspended, it is expected that this will be temporary and may be resumed
after the legal battles. Either way, Employers still need to prepare for the
possibility that there may be some form of version of the mandate. Until then,
the EEOC is the mandate that needs to clear for the workplace.
Session Highlight:
· Why did the EEOC issue
these new guidance’s at this time
· Learn what the challenges are with requests for sincerely held religious beliefs
· Learn how you can us the new guidelines by EEOC when making decisions about the credibility of the requests for religious exemptions
· Learn if the EEOC form created for religious exemption can be an effective tool in your company
· What factors can impact how you determine reasonable accommodations for both exemptions?
· Learn why pregnancy is still on the list by EEOC as an exemption to the vaccine mandate
· Learn how Employers can manage the challenges based on their policies
· Now that the OSHA Rule is suspended for now, learn what Employers need to do while they wait for the legal update
· What impact do Employers have if they exceed the EEOC guidelines on religious exemption and pregnancy?
· Employers now more than ever need to understand the Reasonable Accommodation process and how to use it effectively for vaccine exemptions
· Learn why pregnancy concerns by pregnant women, lactating and women interested in getting pregnant are real and significant
· Learn why litigation may still be a risk no matter what the EEOC new guidance says
· What is the most effective course of action when you decide to terminate employees who refuse the vaccine?
Why Should You Attend:
The EEOC had informed
employers that they can mandate vaccines in the workplace. However, since the
EEOC’s directive, Employers have experienced confusion and frustration with
mitigating exemptions for the vaccine especially when it comes sincerely held
religious beliefs and pregnancy. Although the EEOC has provided an update on
these issues, Employers are still grappling with handling these issues. This
training will provide Employers and professionals how to mitigate this
challenge.
Benefits For Attending:
This training will provide you with an updates on religious beliefs and pregnancy vaccine accommodation and how to mitigate those exemptions. In addition, each training I offer free customized compliance tools for all attendees. Also get:
· SHRM Recertification
& HRCI PDU Credits
· Free customized compliance tools in the form of guides, templates, policies, and toolkits
· Additional HR Compliance Supplemental Slides
· Free answer to all questions even after the training ends
Who Should Attend:
· All Employers with 100
employees or more
· All Employers with federal contractor and subcontractors
· Business Owners that are under 100 employees but will still be impacted
· Business Owners
· Company Leadership
· Compliance Professionals
· HR Professionals
· Managers/Supervisors
· Employers in all industries
· Anyone interested in learning what the factors are for this EEOC updates
Margie Faulk is a senior level human resources professional with over 15 years of HR management and compliance experience. A current Compliance Advisor for HR Compliance Solutions, LLC, Margie, has worked as an HR Compliance advisor for major corporations and small businesses in the small, large, private, public, Non-profit sectors and International compliance. Margie has provided small to large businesses with risk management strategies that protect companies and reduces potential workplace fines and penalties from violation of employment regulations. Margie is bilingual (Spanish) fluent and Bi-cultural.
Margie’s area of expertise includes Criminal Background Screening Policies and auditing, I-9 document correction and storage compliance, Immigration compliance, employee handbook development, policy development, sexual harassment investigations/certified training, SOX regulations, payroll compliance, compliance consulting, monitoring US-based federal, state and local regulations, employee relations issues, internal investigations, HR management, compliance consulting, internal/external audits, and performance management.
Margie holds professional human resources certification (PHR) from the HR Certification Institution (HRCI) and SHRM-CP certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. Margie is a member of the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE).
1.5 SHRM-CP & 1.5 HRCI Credits