The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released new guidance warning employers against engaging in various forms of caregiving discrimination.
The term “caregiving discrimination” refers to any discrimination in a caregiving setting or situation based on protected class, such as sex, race, religion, color, national origin, age, genetic information or disability.
This reminder from the EEOC comes amid the latest evolving phase of the COVID-19 pandemic as the country has started to adjust to the virus and the normalities of a post-COVID world. The EEOC statement said it is important for caregivers to know their rights and for employees to understand their responsibilities, particularly as America continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
The EEOC noted a variety of ways in which organizations can commit caregiving discrimination and called for employers to ensure they have equitable employment practices in place.
One example: employers cannot deny a man leave to care for a family member if it also grants such requests made by a woman. Employers cannot discriminate LGBTQ workers for making certain caregiving requests, including asking for proof of family relationship, if they do not make those same requests of heterosexual employees.
Workers in the caregiving field have been hit hard by the pandemic, and this latest guidance should help remind them of their rights.
For more information about how to proceed with a whistleblower claim if you’ve become aware of discrimination in your wokplace, contact an experienced whistleblower lawyer at Kardell Law Group.
