COVID raises the risk of new forms of 'association discrimination'.

The consequences of COVID infections are triggering new forms of association discrimination and retaliation. Make sure your managers understand this risk.

Association discrimination is job-related bias against an employee or applicant because of that person's association with a member of a protected category. For example, refusing to hire someone because she has a disabled child, or firing a worker because he married a woman of another race.

Association retaliation occurs when an employer punishes a worker because of her association with another worker who has engaged in protected activity. Example: firing a man because his wife/co-worker filed an EEOC complaint.

Both forms of associational discrimination violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

New risk: Long-haul COVID, which can affect employees for months, is already accepted as a potential ADA...