At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted a pre-recorded webinar addressing questions arising under any of the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws and the COVID-19 pandemic. The video can be seen on YouTube or in the video player below. A transcript of the webinar is also available. Continue reading
Articles Posted in Genetic Information
The EEOC updated its COVID-19 vaccination guidance for employers
Without any fanfare or press release (sigh), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its list of frequently asked questions entitled “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.”
The update is limited to guidance on vaccinations. So, you’d think that it would be easy to tell what the EEOC updated.
Yeah, you’d think that.
Come on, EEOC!!! Can employers incentivize COVID-19 shots? We need to know! (ASAP!)

Image Credit: The Noun Project
On Monday, several business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and The Society for Human Resource Management, wrote this letter to Charlotte Burrows, the new Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
There’s just one thing they’ve got to know! Continue reading
Pot for Shots: Folks, there’s a new trend to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations. It’s marijuana?!? 🌿

Image by Hayley Zacha from Pixabay
I wonder if, in light of their recently-proposed rules, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would consider a joint a small enough incentive from employers to encourage their employees to participate in a company wellness program.
“Let’s upstage The Employer Handbook by releasing our vaccine guidance” — EEOC, possibly

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes after my blog post yesterday about “Preparing for Exceptions To Your Business’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program” went live, I received an email from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It read something like this: Continue reading
VLOG time! The EEOC dropped some new-ish COVID-19 guidance for employers.
You can either read it here. Or, you can relax with a morning scotch latte and watch me explain it in this latest video from The Employer Handbook YouTube Channel. (Click here to subscribe).
Either way, enjoy! Continue reading
Federal judge to EEOC: Your wellness-program incentive rules are kind’ve a big dumpster fire
Well, maybe not in those words exactly. But, the judge did have some scathing words for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s take on wellness-program incentives. Continue reading
9 things HR needs to know about the EEOC’s new rules on employer wellness programs
Yesterday, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced here that it had issued issued final rules on how the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act apply to employer-sponsored wellness programs.
So, what do y’all need to know about the EEOC’s new rules on employer wellness programs?
(No one ever accused me of burying the lede)
Can an employer rescind a job offer based on the results of a genetic test?
A received a number of emails following yesterday’s blog post, “Can you refuse to hire a person whom you fear may have a future disability?” Most were nice. Although, I didn’t appreciate one reader’s virtual flaming bag of virtual dog poop left in my inbox. That person can go to virtual hell. Or actual hell.
But, one of the more substantive emails was worthy of setting the table for today’s post: