Today, the EEOC updated its COVID-19 guidance for employers by adding nine new questions and answers. Among the topics addressed in the new guidance are:
- Whether employees are entitled to an accommodation in order to avoid exposing a family member who is at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19;
- Best practices for inviting employees to request flexibility in work arrangements before returning to the workplace;
- How to respond if an employee requests an alternative method of COVID-19 screening due to a medical condition;
- Whether an employer may exclude an employee from the workplace involuntarily due to pregnancy; and
- The extent to which nondiscrimination laws grant a right to an accommodation based on pregnancy during the pandemic.