In many situations, the question of whether an employee’s request for a religious accommodation is tied to sincere religious beliefs isn’t at issue. Instead, you simply need to assess whether you can provide the accommodation without causing an undue hardship. When you do question whether the employee sincerely holds the beliefs—e.g., if she raises a dubious religious objection to getting the COVID-19 vaccine—you should look to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) long-standing guidance on the level of inquiry you can make.
