The Dreaded Vaccine Mandate Has Come To My Company - Need Suggestions on Exemption Letter

[SamAdams76]

I can retire but I'm still too young to retire. Still 8 years away from FRA on Social Security, still months away from being able to tap into my 401k without penalty. But all my retirement planning has centered around retiring in my mid 60s - not the young age of 59!

So still got 5-10 years in the tank so far as my career is concerned. I'm at the top of my game and at my top earning potential. So I'd hate to give up over a million dollars in future earnings all because of some silly government mandate for a vaccine that I absolutely do not need and do not believe in.

So I'm asking for Freeper help in contructing a letter asking for an exemption to this absolutely insane and unwarranted mandate.

According to the edict put out by my company, all employees must be vaccinated by mid-December or face termination of employment. There are two possible paths for exemption: Medical and Religious.

A medical exemption is out of the question because I have been in perfect health my entire life. Not even a prescription other than a 2-week antibiotic I was given for a sinus infection back in the 1990s. Decades before COVID, I was taking vitamins C, D3 and zinc daily. For the past 20 years, I've been eating almost nothing but natural foods, recently adding raw honeycomb to my diet (to put in my whole-fat yogurt).

Over 30 years at this company and not a single sick day! I have probably the most perfect immune system one could want for. So why would I want to take a vaccine that I don't need and that might compromise that immune system?

I respect the decisions of those who decided to get the vaccines, everybody's situation is different, but I feel that I do not need it for myself and that it could only do me harm.

So my only option here is to seek a religious exemption.

Now I've been a lifelong Christian but I wish I could say I'm a perfect Christian, going to church every Sunday and Bible Study on Wednesday nights. But I skip church way more than I go to it. Mainly because I see the clergy as flawed human beings like myself. For example, during this pandemic, they have had a mask mandate at the church my wife and I belong to and the pastor himself has encouraged his congregation to take the vaccine. So cannot abide by that and cannot ask my pastor to sponsor me in my religious exemption request.

But that is the only avenue I have and I owe the Human Resources a letter stating my desire for a religious exemption. Otherwise, I need to either get the vaccine or face termination of employment less than two months from now. Unless I can obtain an exemption on religious grounds.

I only have one shot at this and so I need to get my ducks in a row. I don't want to be disingenuous. I don't want to cut and paste conspiracy stuff from the Internet. I don't want to pretend to be something I am not. However, I believe there are reasonable objections for even a semi-practicing Christian such as mywelf to make a good case for being exempted from these "vaccinations."

Such as fetus cells being used in either the production or development of these vaccines (my wife and I are ardently pro-Life). But I'm hearing this line of argument could potentially be challenged by HR as many other over the counter medications like cough medicine and Tylenol have fetal cells. Both of which I have taken in the past but certainly not on even a regular basis. In fact, it's been at least a decade since I took either.

So I'm looking for a cogent argument against this vaccine that will pass muster with my HR and Legal Department - on religious grounds. As I'm sure they will need to justify their exemption to the jackboot government.

Now I'm not simply an employee at this company but at the executive level. So I need to come at this from the angle of supporting the company's policies overall while seeking an exemption for myself. A bit of an awkward situation.

I plan to take the tack of not outright refusing to take a vaccine but simply not taking it at this time until certain concerns of mine are resolved. Such as waiting for more time to pass to gauge the long-term effect, waiting for a vaccine that did not have fetal cells in either its development or its production, or until such time my personal medical situation warrants it.

Anyway, I know there are some great minds on Free Republic so would like to pick your brains on this. That said, I also know I'm opening myself up here to inane and insane comments from other Freepers. Which is all fine with me. Just looking for some input and I feel that other Freepers are or will be soon in the same type of situation I find myself in.

Lastly, my company is between a rock and a hard place. They never wanted to mandate their employees but their hand is forced because 40% of our revenues derive from public sector contracts - such as military, government agencies and schools.

My goal here is to get an exemption so that my company can say they are in compliance. Otherwise, it's time to get out of the rat race and spend the rest of my life reading books and taking nature walks - which I guess I'll be okay with - but I'm sure I'll have regrets later.

[Veto!]

Brother-in-law. Over ten years ago. In Texas, which may or may not have ways to fight it. Wish he’d known you then because he didn’t think he could. Bright guy in some ways, jerk in others. At least he’s a Trumpster.

[WASCWatch]

Still wouldn’t hurt to talk to an attorney. He could claim he was so traumatized until just recently. Might help with a statute of limitations issue. Not sure.

On the other hand, the adverse publicity an
employment attorney could generate or theaten to generate could get him retirement t benefits; or at least a very sizeable settlement to keep quiet.

[Man from Oz]

Ping

[kelly4c]

Bkmk

[strider44]

I suggest you get the shot. Simple.

[heavy metal]

our government’s actions and double standards prove the kung flu is a scam...

why are you attempting to get someone to trust hypocrites?...

[gawatchman]

I work for a major IT company as a field service engineer and am 55 and in the same boat as you. I have to be jabbed by December 8th since I support a Federal account. I was also told that I have to comply with customer guidelines whom I service and one of the major accounts I go to has already mandated that everyone who comes onsite must be able to attest to being vaccinated so my deadline may come sooner. I have 24 years in the company and I am planning to let them fire me and take enough from my 401K to pay off my major debts take the tax hit and then maybe work in a more menial job (if there are any such jobs) or go a different direction until I can retire.

[ducttape45]

HA! If that would really work I bet there would be a line around the block!

[ducttape45]

#1 Don' quit or retire. If separation is inevitable make them fire you.
#2 Write a polite letter stating you are standing on your Christian beliefs about using fetal cells for a medicine.
#3 Tell them the manufacturers are immune from lawsuits and nobody would be held responsible for death/injury from said vaccine.
#4 You can take from your 401k without penalty by taking it out in equal amounts each year (Talk to your tax person about this).
#5 If your major debts are paid off, you'll survive just fine with your skill sets and experience. Take a few months off the working grind to go in another direction.
I wish you well and hope this works out for you for the best. I hope this helps.

Those are all good points. If I get let go, I'll stick it out until my lease expires in March 2022, find a little hole in the wall to hold up, live off unemployment and whatever I get from my TSP, then move someplace a 60 year old veteran can find work.

[SamAdams76]

You will almost definitely find a job. Likely much less than you were making but you will be free. My wife and I have been discussing the same approach. She has some 401k from her previous jobs and she's old enough to take it without the 10% penalty. So we will likely pay off our remaining mortgage with it as well as our one car loan note. Then we will be totally debt free and able to switch to low budget living.

Not the way I wanted to go out but it's doable. If I can delay drawing from my own 401k for a few years, we should be home free. Good luck!

[gawatchman]

Thanks . Good luck to you as well. I have been paying extra towards the principle of my mortgage as I have been able since I have had it and am glad now because I am not that far off from it being payed off. Also, I am burnt out where I am having been overworked and over stressed in the last few years so I believe this will be a good thing. The top brass at my company on other hand may be in for a rude awakening in early December as I don’t think they have any clue what people like me on the front lines do everyday to deliver for customers and keep them running.

[grey_whiskers]

1) there is existing SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT (I’ll give the links in a bit)
that the company cannot question a sincere religious exemption; the EEOC has in the past interpreted / enforced this, that even if the leaders of the denomination do not agree with the particular interpretation, this is not enough to override a sincere religious belief.
The cases are relating to conscientious objector status to the draft in the 1960s.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3995812/posts?page=66#66

The employers can test sincerity, blanket statements like “your church doesn’t believe that” won’t cut it.

29 CFR § 1605.1: In most cases whether or not a practice or belief is religious is not at issue. However, in those cases in which the issue does exist, the Commission will define religious practices to include moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views. This standard was developed in United States v. Seeger, 380 U.S. 163 (1965) and Welsh v. United States, 398 U.S. 333 (1970). The Commission has consistently applied this standard in its decisions. The fact that no religious group espouses such beliefs or the fact that the religious group to which the individual professes to belong may not accept such belief will not determine whether the belief is a religious belief of the employee or prospective employee. The phrase “religious practice” as used in these Guidelines includes both religious observances and practices, as stated in section 701(j), 42 U.S.C. 2000e(j).”

The fact that an employee didn’t always act in a manner consistent with the belief is not the legal standard either, as religious beliefs can change over time.

Here is a good link from the Rutherford Institute about how to sue for religious discrimination and in what order.
https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/D02_Title-VII-Claim-of-Religious-Discrimination_2001.pdf

Here are some other sites for religious exemptions:
https://www.jdfarag.org/exemption

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/resources-for-americans-pushing-back-against-mandated-coronavirus-vaccines/?utm_source=urgent&utm_campaign=usa

https://lc.org/exempt

Here is a discussion of guidance (not force of law) from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/section-12-religious-discrimination#h_25500674536391610749867844

2) the list of tylenol, etc.

There are many sources for this story:
Leaked White House Call Shows DOJ Lawyer Discussing How To Undercut Vaccine Religious Exemption Claims(The Suncoast News & Scoop)
http://thesuncoastnews.com/2021/10/leaked-white-house-call-shows-doj-lawyer-discussing-how-to-undercut-vaccine-religious-exemption-claims/

Leaked White House Call Shows DOJ Lawyer Discussing How To Undercut Vaccine Religious Exemption Claims (NewsWars)
https://www.newswars.com/leaked-white-house-call-shows-doj-lawyer-discussing-how-to-undercut-vaccine-religious-exemption-claims/

Leaked White House Call Shows DOJ Lawyer Discussing How exactly to Undercut Vaccine Religious Exemption Claims (Anti 5G and EMF)
https://anti5g.net/index.php/2021/10/20/leaked-white-house-call-shows-doj-lawyer-discussing-how-exactly-to-undercut-vaccine-religious-exemption-claims/

BOMBSHELL! Leaked White House Call Shows NAZI DOJ Lawyer Discussing How To Undercut Vaccine Religious Exemption Claims (Whatfinger)
https://linkshare.whatfinger.com/bombshell-leaked-white-house-call-shows-nazi-doj-lawyer-discussing-how-to-undercut-vaccine-religious-exemption-claims/

Leaked Audio Shows White House Official Discuss Combating Religious Exemption Claims (Conservative Brief)
https://conservativebrief.com/leaked-audio-53053/

Leaked Audio Shows White House Official Discuss Combating Religious Exemption Claims (Conservative Daily Wire)

I wanted to reference these so folks won’t think it’s just another InfoWars/Alex Jones production. Let’s face it, he’s not well liked everywhere but I initially saw this on his website and wanted to see if it was referenced in other places.
https://conservativedailywire.com/leaked-audio-shows-white-house-official-discuss-combating-religious-exemption-claims/

Tums were discovered in 1928.
Ex-Lax was created in 1906.
Aspirin’s precursors date back to the Indians 300 years ago (willow bark) and in the old world to ancient Egypt (3500 years ago).
The precursor to tylenol dates back to 1886; Tylenol itself was introduced as a prescription in 1955.

They’re lying.

It’s nonsense. Their list is not drugs created using fetal cells; the tests they list are AFTER the drugs were made. If you buy a Ford pickup, and two years later someone buys a different Ford pickup, and uses it to run over people, that doesn’t mean all Ford pickups are evil. And it doesn’t mean YOU are guilty of running people over.

[SamAdams76]

I’m not exaggerating when I say I do the work of 2 1/2 people in my workplace. Since COVID, I lost a few of my managers and I mostly picked up the slack without replacing any of them. If they do not accept my reasonable request for an exception, they are due for a rude awakening indeed.

[CapnJack]

The alternative to that is being unemployed and unemployable unless you cave into their demands, get the shot and drop dead or be disabled for the remainder of your life.

Not much of a choice.

Could just get Medical/Dental for the wife and 7 yr. old kid.

[CapnJack]

Yes, definitely I would be doing that. All the additional expenses would be factored in.

I’m sure I would be taking a pay cut, but if there is no other alternative then permeant unemployment, that is what I would have to do.

[PistolPaknMama]

I’ll send you a FReepmail shortly. Got some inside scoop on this.

[strider44]

So the 2 people in my family that died from Covid both didn’t die from Covid? The doctors made it up?

I’m not a vax zealot. I don’t think people should lose their jobs over not getting the shot. But I sure do wish my uncle and great uncle could have got the shot. They both died before the vax was available.

My entire family is vaccinated, including my kids in High School. It’s a little strange to me that people will quit their jobs instead of taking the shot. To each his own I guess. But again, it sucks that people are getting fired over it. I’ll happily vote against and politician that advocates for that.

[WASCWatch]

You might be surprised at how much you could charge. They obviously value your talent at some level higher than they were paying you

[steve86]

Always registered nurse at my clinic.

[steve86]

” If you buy a Ford pickup, and two years later someone buys a different Ford pickup, and uses it to run over people, that doesn’t mean all Ford pickups are evil. “

But when the manufacturer of the vaccine pays royalties to utilize the fetal cell line for testing purposes...