An employee’s or job applicant’s COVID-19-related impairment may qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) even if the worker’s initial COVID-19 illness was not covered, according to updated guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
A worker’s COVID-19 illness will not be considered an ADA disability if the worker experiences mild COVID-19 symptoms that resolve in a few weeks with no other consequences. In that case, the worker would not be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the act, according to the agency’s Dec. 14 update. The EEOC noted that employers may choose to do more than the ADA requires.
