EEOC Issues Updated And Expanded COVID-19 Technical Assistance

Today, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") issued updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The expanded technical assistance addresses questions about religious objections to employer COVID-19 vaccine requirements and how they interact with federal equal employment opportunity ("EEO") laws. The key updates to the technical assistance include:

• Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations. Other laws, not in EEOC's jurisdiction, may place additional restrictions on employers. From an EEO perspective, employers should keep in mind that because some individuals or demographic groups may face greater barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination than others, some