COVID-19 has presented employers with leave challenges not only for those currently suffering from COVID-19, but also for employees who have lingering residual symptoms, sometimes referred to as “long COVID.” While the effects of routine COVID-19 cases often have a limited impact on the workplace, more difficult accommodation issues can result from long COVID.
Continue Reading Long COVID implications under FMLA and ADA

The Eastern District of Kentucky, which falls within the purview of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, recently denied injunctive relief to a group of plaintiffs who challenged their employer’s mandatory vaccination requirement in Beckerich, et al., v. St. Elizabeth Medical Center Inc., et al.

Facts

In this case, plaintiffs are a group of healthcare workers who are employees or former employees of defendants St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Summit Medical Group (St. Elizabeth). St. Elizabeth recently enacted a mandatory vaccination policy, whereby an employee must receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless he or she requests a medical or religious exemption. Any employee who fails to comply with the policy may be terminated.
Continue Reading Federal Court holds that private employer’s mandatory vaccination policy is lawful

Employers considering whether to adopt a mandatory vaccine policy should be alert to recently-enacted and pending legislation regulating workplace vaccine policies in certain states. As we reported last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued guidance for employers to consider before adopting a mandatory vaccine policy.
Continue Reading State law may impact employer vaccine policies

The attorneys behind the Employer Law Report Blog present the final part of our three-part series on the COVID-19 vaccine and employer considerations.

On Jan. 7, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed new rules that would apply to employer wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Some commentators have suggested that these rules may affect employers who plan to offer an incentive to encourage employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Less than two weeks later, the Biden Administration issued a regulatory freeze and instructed agencies to withdraw unpublished rules, including the proposed wellness program rules. For now, it is important to be aware of the rules because they may indicate the direction the EEOC intends to take when the freeze is lifted.Continue Reading EEOC proposes new wellness program rules under the ADA and GINA which may limit employers’ efforts to incentivize COVID-19 vaccination

Businesses are beginning to reopen across the country, and as employees come back to work, employers are considering to what extent they can protect vulnerable employees who continue showing up for work in spite of the risk posed by COVID-19. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released guidance to address this question.
Continue Reading EEOC updates guidance on addressing health risks of COVID-19 vulnerable employees who do not ask for accommodation

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently updated its COVID-19 guidance to provide employers with additional insight on how to properly engage in the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) interactive process.

Engaging in the interactive process

In parts of the country, governors are beginning to talk about reopening their states for business. When this occurs, employers are likely to experience an influx in disability accommodation requests.Continue Reading Navigating the interactive process of the Americans with Disabilities Act during the COVID-19 pandemic