- The EEOC enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, including the requirement for reasonable accommodation and rules about medical examinations and inquiries.
- The ADA and Rehabilitation Act rules continue to apply, but they do not interfere with or prevent employers from following the guidelines and suggestions made by the CDC about steps employers should take regarding the Coronavirus.
- The EEOC has provided guidance, consistent with these workplace protections and rules, that can help employers implement strategies to navigate the impact of Coronavirus in the workplace.
- The EEOC guidance identifies relevant established ADA and Rehabilitation Act principles and answers questions frequently asked about the workplace during Coronavirus-like events such as:
- How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in order to protect the rest of its workforce during a Coronavirus-like event?
- When may an ADA-covered employer take the body temperature of employees during a Coronavirus-like event?
- Does the ADA allow employers to require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of the Coronavirus?
- When employees return to work, does the ADA allow employers to require doctors’ notes certifying their fitness for duty?