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.

Berke-Weiss Law PLLC Sues Amazon for Disability Discrimination

May 4, 2022
Disability Discrimination
Berke-Weiss Law PLLC filed a disability discrimination suit against Amazon in the Southern District of New York on May 2, 2022.

Work from Home Expenses Lead to Lawsuits

April 27, 2022
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One unexpected result of this transition to remote work has been the hidden costs of doing an office job from home. According to a recent LA Times story, remote workers across the country have resorted to lawsuits to recoup out of pocket expenses that have started to pile up.

It Pays to Listen to Your Employees

April 18, 2022
Disability Discrimination
A Kentucky jury’s recent finding underscores how important it is to listen to employee’s needs, especially when employees are sharing the mental health bases for their requests. Such open-minded attitudes and awareness of the consequences of disability discrimination usually lead to less strife and more equity in the long-run.

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