Employees at a health care facility in Iowa are being asked some pretty personal questions when filing for a religious exemption to the COVID vaccine, which recent legislation requires to be accepted and approved.
The first question asks the employee to describe their reasons for requesting a religious exemptions. It asks for details regarding what “sincerely held religious beliefs” prohibit them from receiving the vaccine and how it would conflict with those beliefs.
The second question asks how long the employee has held the sincerely held religious belief.
The third asks if as an adult they’ve received other vaccines or medication. They’re asked to describe why those vaccines or medications are different from the COVID vaccine.
The final question asks for examples of how employees live their lives consistent with the sincerely held religious beliefs described in the first answer.
House File 902, which passed in October, simply says the vaccine requirement must be waived by an employer if the employee provides a statement that receiving the vaccine would conflict with the tenets and practices of a religion of which the employee is an adheret or member.
So, if an Iowa employer is asking for exemptions to be filled out, perhaps the employee should just write:
“Receiving the vaccine would conflict with tenets and practices of my religion of which I am a member.”
