Rockford, Ill.-based Mercyhealth will pay more than $1 million to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges that alleged religious discrimination related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The agreement also includes offers to reinstate employees who were terminated for vaccine refusal, according to an Aug. 13 news release shared with Becker’s.
“I am proud of the monetary relief that we have obtained here, and I am equally proud that these employees—who remained committed to their religious beliefs and practice at great personal cost—will receive job offers,” EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas said in the release.
The EEOC investigation found reasonable cause that Mercyhealth discriminated against staff due to their religion by denying accommodation requests and either implementing a wage deduction or terminating them. From September 2021 to May 2022, Mercyhealth either imposed a $60 monthly “vaccine incentive charge” or terminated unvaccinated staff, the agency alleged. Employees who refused both the wage deduction and vaccine were dismissed.
The EEOC determined that these acts violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace religious discrimination.
Kara Sankey, vice president of clinical operations and CNO for Mercyhealth, said in the release that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercyhealth was forced to confront and tackle extraordinary challenges while also protecting patient and staff safety and complying with federal rules that required all hospital employees to be vaccinated.
“The balancing of these critical goals could not be achieved without the dedication of our doctors and staff in times of significant personal risk, and Mercyhealth appreciates the work and assistance of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in resolving these remaining disputes,” Ms. Sankey said. “The process permits Mercyhealth to demonstrate its long-held commitment to employee rights and to close another chapter in its work during the pandemic.”
As part of the three-year settlement, Mercyhealth will provide back pay and compensatory damages, train human resources and decision-makers on religious accommodation requests, recirculate policies and report related data to the EEOC.
