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Religious Accommodations

Religious Accommodations


The Equal Opportunity and Compliance office (EOC) assists employees, students and applicants with religious accommodation requests. Examples of reasonable religious accommodations include:

  • flexible work arrangements
  • time and space to pray
  • excused absences
  • extensions to deadlines
  • alternative exam times during fasting times

For more information on what constitutes a religious accommodation under applicable policy and law, please view the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Policy on Accommodations.

Religious accommodation request process: How it works


For religious accommodations, please complete the Accommodation Request Form.


Additional documentation may be required depending on the type of accommodation that is requested. Please work with an Accommodation Specialist to determine if additional information is needed and if so ensure that you submit the additional documentation required by your type of accommodation request. The forms for additional documentation can be found on the Forms page.


After the Accommodation Request Form and the required supporting documentation is received, EOC staff will meet with the requestor to understand their University obligations, religious obligations, and requested accommodations. When appropriate, EOC staff will also gather additional information, which may include meeting with the employee’s supervisor and other relevant individuals or with the student’s instructor or other relevant individuals as part of the interactive process. In meetings with supervisors, instructors, and other relevant individuals, information about the requestor’s religious beliefs will not be shared. Only information about the conflict with the individual’s University obligation will be shared.


If the request is approved:

  • EOC sends a letter to the requestor and their supervisor/instructor outlining
    • The approved accommodations
    • The timeline for when the approved accommodations will take effect

If the request is not approved:

  • EOC will continue to engage in the interactive process with the requestor to determine what other reasonable accommodations are available.


Extending reasonable accommodations

After an accommodation has been approved, EOC will continue to be available for support or to consider additional accommodation requests. If the requestor needs to extend the length of time permitted for an accommodation, they should contact the EOC Accommodations Team.

It is important to know that the University prohibits discrimination and harassment based on protected status, including religion. Discrimination under the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct includes failing to provide reasonable religious accommodations, consistent with state and federal law. EOC also implements this policy. View more information about the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct.

Religious resources

Additional questions or concerns?

Contact our Accommodations Team