If you’re reading this, chances are you or someone you love are facing the very real possibility of losing your job, maybe even your career. You’re wondering what you’ll do next and how you’ll provide for yourself and your family. You may be reading through tears. You may be far past the tears and just angry. Now you’re faced with having to prove your religious convictions and in many ways, this is just too much. You many be asking yourself, “where do I even begin”?

Well, this article is for you. It’s here to give you help and suggestions when writing and submitting your own religious exemption letter to your employer. It may feel like a daunting or scary task, but hopefully this will ease the stress.

Here are some things to consider.

First, there are only 2 requirements for a religious exemption:

1. It has to be about your personal religious beliefs (not that of your church or any organized religion), and
2. Your beliefs have to be sincerely held

Second, there are 3 important parts to communicate in your letter requesting a religious exemption:

1. Share what you believe (try to be as specific as you can when stating your belief(s), and try to back them up with something that supports the reason for your belief, like a bible verse)
2. Share how your religious belief is opposed to vaccines or how vaccines violate your religious faith (try to make a clear connection between your religious beliefs and how they would be violated by taking a vaccine)
3. Conclude with a definitive statement (at the end of your letter, make a clear conclusion with an absolute statement objecting to the vaccine, saying something like “so I can’t take it” or “my religious beliefs prevent me from getting the vaccine” or “therefore I cannot take the vaccine”)

Example religious exemption letter

Below is an example of an exemption letter. Please change it and make it personal to you. Remember, it’s important to show your beliefs are sincerely held. Writing your own personal letter demonstrates your sincerity. Simply copying someone else’s letter or signing at the bottom of a form letter may actually undermine the sincerity you want to show. It’s ok to use other letters as inspiration, but nothing is as strong as your own words. Letters from churches or religious leaders can be useful as supportive or follow-up documents if they should they be needed after your letter is submitted.

Attorneys helping with religious exemption cases

• The Liberty Counsel has a dedicated page to help with religious exemptions. It’s a great place for even more information and sample letters. Also, if you feel like you need legal assistance, you can request help by filling out their online form
• The law firm of Siri & Glimstad has a vaccine exemptions page and detailed FAQ pages for religious vaccine exemptions in the workplace and in schools and universities, as well as immigration exemptions. They also offer paid legal help with your exemption process.

More resources