January 12, 2023

New Study of Employees With Long COVID Demonstrates Need for More Workplace Accommodations

Since the beginning of the pandemic “long COVID” remains a new and poorly understood condition both for medical experts and people suffering from the condition. For workers, this has had a significant impact on their ability to remain productive at work. One in five people reporting a positive COVID diagnosis report experiencing symptoms of long COVID, according to the CDC. And, in a new study focused on long-COVID sufferers, 99% of participants reported that the condition had adversely affected their work. Participants reported having to take time off work, depression, anxiety, and even switching jobs.

The study also revealed that these problems are not merely personal, as employers have not done enough to create clear ways to communicate the availability for accommodations, which are required under the ADA, broadened in summer of 2021 to recognize “long COVID” as a disability. Respondents reported lack of workplace flexibility, poor communication, and a more general fear of broaching the subject with employers., all of which were more acutely felt among  respondents of color.

However, there is much that employers can do to help employees who are dealing with long COVID. The first is simply to talk more openly about the condition. Many people are not even aware they are suffering from long COVID because of the lack of diagnostic tools to point to the condition coupled with its similarities with other common mental health conditions. However, many of those conditions already allow for accommodations, so employers should not be fearful of widening the discussion to include long COVID. Additionally, many of those accommodations cost little, are easy to implement and have been used for other conditions for years, making it an easy target for employers.

Alex Berke Interviewed for News 12 on Lawsuit Against Newburgh School District

May 13, 2022
Sexual Harassment
Berke-Weiss Law in the News
Alex Berke recently appeared for an interview on News 12 with Blaise Gomez about her clients’ lawsuit raising claims of sexual harassment and retaliation against the Newburgh School District, Newburgh Board of Education and former Superintendent.

New Book Teaches Women to Say No to Office Housework

May 5, 2022
Gender Discrimination
Service work is essential to develop camaraderie and harmony in a workplace, but is often not considered when a worker is up for promotion. They are also called “non-promotable” tasks (NPTs), according to four authors of a recent book The No Club.

Law360 Covers Berke-Weiss Law's Suit Against Amazon

May 4, 2022
Disability Discrimination
On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, Law360 dug into Berke-Weiss Law’s latest lawsuit, Brittany Hope v. Amazon.com Services LLC and Sandra Finkelstein.

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