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.

NYC Releases Guidance on Vaccine Mandate for Private Sector

December 17, 2021
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On December 27, 2021, all workers who either work in-person or who have significant daily contact with the public will need to show proof of vaccination, as required by Mayor De Blasio’s emergency executive Order 317.

Salary Transparency Comes to Job Listings in NYC

December 16, 2021
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On December 15, the NYC Council made it mandatory for all employers with four or more employees to provide minimum and maximum salaries on all job postings, effective April 14, 2022.

Chamber of Mothers Spreads Awareness and Advocacy for Paid Family Leave

November 18, 2021
Paid Family Leave
Chamber of Mothers is a newly formed group by moms and for moms, currently focusing on advocating for federal paid leave.

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