Monday, April 5, 2021

Coronavirus Update 4-5-2021: The Covid lawsuits are coming


Thirteen months into the pandemic, the COVID-related employment lawsuits are starting to roll into courthouses. Consider the following, all of which made headlines over the past couple of weeks.

A former crew member who worked for Universal TV is suing his former employer claiming discrimination stemming from his termination after his Covid-19 diagnosis.

A Covid-19 long hauler is suing her former employer after she was fired for missing too many days of work while recovering from her illness.

A doctor is suing after he was fired over his vocal opposition to his employer's Covid response.

And these lawsuits don't even scratch the surface of employees fired for other Covid-related reasons, such as those fired for refusing the vaccine or complaining on social media about unsafe working conditions.

Employers, you need to understand that if you fire someone related to the pandemic, their first stop likely might be the office of their friendly neighborhood plaintiff attorney. Do yourself a favor a don't go this alone. Take the time to vet these terminations pre-termination. The time you spend on the phone with your employment lawyer will be time and money well spent if it helps you not to walk in front of a runaway lawsuit.