Is There Anything Else That You Would Like To Add?

One thing you may want to add is that the first step in preserving your right to sue on these matters would be filing a charge of discrimination with EEOC or its state counterpart, the Florida Commission on Human Relations. You’re required to file a charge of discrimination before you can sue for anything in these matters.

For example, let’s say you, an employee, requested a religious accommodation and it was denied. If you believe that the denial was unlawful—that is, that it did not constitute a disproportionate hardship and/or you do have a sincerely held religious belief that prevents you from taking the vaccine—then you’ve have to file a charge of discrimination with EEOC within 300 days or you lose your right to sue.

It’s very, very important that you immediately file a charge of discrimination in these matters. In our firm, we help people through that process and the process that’s called exhausting your administrative remedies. Then the EEOC has to either issue a right to sue letter or the claim has 180 days has to expire before you can file for a right to sue.

Also, there are several types of damages that are available under a religious discrimination lawsuit as it relates to a vaccine mandate. These include your economic damages (your lost backpay and benefits) and your non-economic damages (things like emotional pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, humiliation, etc.).

I always tell people that when I go to a cocktail party or I meet someone for the first time, one of the first kind of break-the-ice type of questions people ask is, “Well, what do you do for a living?” And a lot of times, people connect who they are to what they do in terms of employment (i.e., “I’m a doctor,” or “I’m a lawyer.”) Firing these people for standing up for their beliefs can cause a lot of trauma emotionally and physically, and those are damages that are available under these discrimination laws. In my opinion, they are probably the most powerful damages available. You can always find another job, but sometimes another job like the job that you have—that you’ve lost because you stood up for sincerely held beliefs—may not come around again. There’s a lot of enjoyment that people get from their job, which they then stand to lose.

For more information on Employment Laws & COVID Vaccination In Florida, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (954) 546-7608 today.