On October 25, 2021 and October 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provided updated guidance to help employers with the influx of religious accommodations from job applicants and employees pertaining to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, masking requirements, and testing requirements.

Private sector employers with 100 or more employees and federal government contractors or first-tier subcontractors with 50 or more employees should be receiving the 2017 EEO-1 survey notification letters in the mail shortly.

For years, employers have grappled with whether or not they were required to grant employees unpaid leaves of absence as reasonable accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA.)  Some employers simply claimed ignorance of the rules. Lack of information or confusion surrounding the statute is no longer acceptable.