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​By Claudia St. John, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President – Affinity HR Group, Inc.​I was recently sharing a cab with the business owner of a print manufacturer heading to an industry conference where I was slated to be a presenter on workforce trends and solutions. He turned to me and said, “Ok, then tell me… where the heck did everyone go? Where are the workers and how do we get them to come work for us?"Where indeed! Unfortunately, they have gone to a variety of places and for a variety of reasons. Some have quit their jobs because of continued COVID hesitancy, some because of ongoing child…

Q:  Our company is requiring all employees get vaccinated for COVID.  We received a request for an exemption to the vaccination requirement on the basis of a sincerely-held religious belief.  Can we require some form of documentation or verification?A:  Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employees cannot be required to get a vaccine if it violates their religious belief, practice, or observance or their sincerely-held belief. Employers do not need to accept general statements or form letters but should require documentation from the employee's personal religious leader explaining the reason the vaccine violates the person's beliefs. It's important to note, the religious leaders…