LEARNING UNIT ASSESSMENT #B: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION United Airlines has required that all employees be fully vaccinated no later than October 25" or be terminated from employment. An employee may request a reasonable accommodation based on disability or religious reasons. The request for a reasonable accommodation will be reviewed by the Human Resources Department Esther Simmons is a gate attendant for United Airlines at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York. She has worked for the company for twenty-five years. Ms. Simmons is hoping to retire in five years. She is a practicing Roman Catholic and is opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church has made the following statement about the COVID-19 vaccines "Being vaccinated with vaccines authorized by the competent authorities is an act of love. And contributing to ensure the majority of people are vaccinated is an act of love." the 84-year-old pope said. "Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other, especially the most vulnerable" Pope Francis has also mandated that all employees at the Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic church, be vaccinated or show regular proof of a negative COPVID-19 test. Currently, the Vatican does not provide any exemption from vaccination for religious reasons Ms. Simmons has submitted the letter below requesting a religious exemption from the vaccine requirement. You work in the Human Resources Department at United Airlines and have been assigned to review Ms. Simmons' request for a religious accommodation. You must determine whether Ms. Simmons choice is a sincerely held religious belief or a personal choice Using the IRAC structure, explain why Ms. Simmons should be provided a reasonable accommodation, why she should not be provided the accommodation and be required to be vaccinated or be terminated, and your conclusion on whether the reasonable accommodation should be granted. If you decide that a reasonable accommodation should be granted state what the accommodation would be. Dear Human Resources Department, I am writing to formally and respectfully apply for a religious exemption to the United Airlines Covid-19 vaccination policy that requires that all employees show proof of vaccination in order to stay employed. I base my request on religious grounds. I hold sincere and genuine beliets that forbid me from accepting a COVID-19 vaccination Under Title Vil of the Civil Rights Act, an employer must not discriminate against an employee because of that employee's sincerely held religious beliefs Religious discrimination involves treating an employee unfavorably because of his or her religious beliels, Tam a practicing Roman Catholic, and my request is based on my sincerely held religious belief I ask that this request for exemption be kept 100% confidential as it contains thoughts and sentiments not shared in casual conversation and deeply personal to me The following passages from the Bible have led me to the conclusion that taking the COVID-19 vaccine violates my religious beliefs: "Honor the Lord with your bodies," 1 Corinthians (6:20) "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Luke (16:13) Exodus 15:26 states: "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His Commandments and keep all His statues, I will none of the diseases on you which I brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you." In Romans 14:5, Paul encourages believers that when they make decisions of conscience "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind" (v.5). "God is the giver and taker of life, and only God is sovereign over viruses, diseases, and all other kinds of illnesses." (Deut. 32:39). I believe that the decision to take the vaccine or not is an issue of one's conscience before God. and one day each person will give an account for his or her choices (Romans 14:12). My conscience tells me that taking the vaccine is a wrong choice for me. Therefore, I request an exemption from the vaccine requirement as a reasonable accommodation Sincerely, Esther Simmons