CHICAGO (LN) — Northwestern Medicine will pay $0.33 million and overhaul its religious accommodation practices under a two-year agreement with the EEOC resolving charges that the Chicago-based medical group denied faith-based exemptions to its mandatory flu vaccination policy, the agency announced Tuesday.
The agreement covers a class of employees denied religious accommodations and the opportunity to earn an annual “vaccine incentive bonus” from November 10, 2023, to the present at Northwestern Medicine facilities across Illinois, according to the EEOC.
The EEOC investigation found the medical group discriminated against employees based on religion when it denied reasonable accommodation requests to its flu vaccination mandate, the agency said.
Northwestern Medicine must revise its policies, educate staff on their rights in the religious accommodation process, train management on handling accommodation requests, and report to the EEOC about any future denials, according to the conciliation agreement.
“Workplace rules and incentives for vaccinations must fully comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including the requirement to provide religious accommodations, absent undue hardship,” EEOC Chair Andrea R. Lucas said in a statement. “Religious accommodations are not optional, they are a fundamental protection under federal civil rights law, and we appreciate the work of EEOC staff and Northwestern Medicine’s cooperation in resolving this matter.”
The EEOC’s Chicago District Office has jurisdiction over Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North and South Dakota.