Employment Law Blog

EEOC Updates Guidance on COVID-19 and ADA

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued updates providing guidance for employers in response to new developments and information. This week, the EEOC has issued a new technical assistance update, clarifying the circumstances under which the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Rehabilitation Act may be applied to COVID-19. More >

Vaccine Mandate Mythbusting: Debunking 5 Common Misconceptions for Employers

For more on this subject, view our webinar, Myths, Masks, and Mandates: More Advice for the Continuing Workplace Challenges of COVID-19.

With the rise of COVID-19 variants and the return to in-office work, more employers are making the decision to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, a number of pervasive myths about vaccine mandates have fueled employee backlash and made many employers hesitant to enact such policies. Employers should be aware of these myths for what they are and understand the facts behind them. More >

Can’t Keep Up? Current COVID Guidance for Employers

For more on this subject, view our webinar, Myths, Masks, and Mandates: More Advice for the Continuing Workplace Challenges of COVID-19.

As the pandemic continues to march on, workplaces must march on too—but the beat of the drum seems to change constantly! Guidance for employers has become more difficult to follow with each passing day. If you feel like you can’t keep up, here’s a quick rundown of the current state of COVID recommendations and responsibilities for employers. More >

Long-Term COVID Effects May Qualify as a Disability under the ADA—What Employers Need to Know

For more on this subject, view our webinar, Myths, Masks, and Mandates: More Advice for the Continuing Workplace Challenges of COVID-19.

We are still learning more about the virus, including its long-term effects on those who have been infected. Because of the severity of these long-lasting symptoms, both the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently released guidance stating that “long COVID” may qualify as a disability under anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). An employer must remain aware of the long-term effects that COVID can have on its workforce and potential accommodations that its employees may need.  More >

EEOC Updates Compliance Manual on Religious Discrimination

Recently, the EEOC released updated guidance for employers regarding religious discrimination and accommodations in the Compliance Manual Section on Religious Discrimination. The updates override the previous iteration of the manual published in 2008. Importantly, this manual does not bind employers by law, but it does inform the way that the EEOC processes claims under the law and is therefore a crucial resource for employers.  With these updates, the EEOC clarified an important aspect of religious discrimination: who is protected by the Title VII. More >

Employers, Take Note: EEOC Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

Throughout the course of 2020, employers have had to stay abreast of a myriad of COVID-19 regulations in the workplace. This includes understanding the ways that CDC guidelines, local and federal regulations, and public health recommendations intersect with the Americans with Disabilities Act (‘ADA’), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (‘GINA’), and more. In addition to the existing recommendations, the EEOC has released guidance for employers to stay compliant when managing the distribution of the newly approved coronavirus vaccines in the workplace. More >

UPDATED - EEOC Releases Guidance on ADA Issues and COVID-19 for Employers

In April 2020, the EEOC began publishing guidance for employers on how to comply with ADA and other anti-discrimination laws and regulations in the face of COVID-19.   More >

EEOC: Opioid Use by Employees May Require Reasonable Accommodation

On August 5, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance for employees regarding their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if they use opioids, are addicted to opioids, or have been addicted in the past. Specifically, employees who are legally using opioids, including those who are or have been addicted, may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the ADA if the accommodation would allow them to do the job safely and effectively. More >

EEOC Nixes Required Antibody Tests in the Workplace

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a statement clarifying that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not allow employers to request or require antibody testing as a condition of employment, recall, or re-entry into the workplace.   More >

Employee Temperature Checks and Confidentiality: Separating Fact from Fiction

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent employers scrambling for answers to questions regarding health, safety, and confidentiality in the workplace they may have never envisioned dealing with. Recently there have been questions concerning the regulatory requirements that an employer encounters when the employer performs temperature checks for employees to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus among its employees and possible customers. More >