Thousands of workers across the country have filed discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) since the inception of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an exclusive report, Bloomberg revealed that “[s]ince April 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received roughly 6,225 Covid-related charges of discrimination under federal civil rights laws” and “more than 2,700 vaccine-related charges, most of which were in 2021 when vaccine requirements were introduced.” The majority of the EEOC charges citing Covid-19 allege violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). These numbers are expected to continue increasing in light of the EEOC’s December 2021 guidance announcing situations in which Covid can be a “disability” for purposes of the ADA.
The rise in Covid-related charges of discrimination signals an impending surge in Covid-related litigation under federal civil rights laws. This is particularly true in the areas of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the ADA. Denials of religious exemption requests in connection with employer vaccine policies and denials of requests to work remotely, as well as terminations, will likely be at the heart of these lawsuits.
Contact our employment law team for help assessing religious or medical exemptions and other requests for accommodations, as well as responding to EEOC charges of discrimination.
Disclaimer: This Blog/Web Site is made available by the law firm of Liskow & Lewis, APLC (“Liskow & Lewis”) and the individual Liskow & Lewis lawyers posting to this site for educational purposes and to give you general information and a general understanding of the law only, not to provide specific legal advice as to an identified problem or issue. By using this blog site you understand and acknowledge that there is no attorney client relationship formed between you and Liskow & Lewis and/or the individual Liskow & Lewis lawyers posting to this site by virtue of your using this site. The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state regarding a particular matter.
Privacy Policy: By subscribing to Liskow & Lewis’ E-Communications, you will receive articles and blogs with insight and analysis of legal issues that may impact your industry. Communications include firm news, insights, and events. To receive information from Liskow & Lewis, your information will be kept in a secured contact database. If at any time you would like to unsubscribe, please use the SafeUnsubscribe® link located at the bottom of every email that you receive.