On November 1 at 9 a.m., I’ll be making a return appearance to WNPR’s award-winning Where We Live show.  You can listen live or download it as a podcast.

Tomorrow’s topic is one that we never would’ve dreamed of years ago — Long COVID.

Long COVID is the term that the CDC uses to describe the condition that happens after the acute phase of COVID. While many people recover quickly, a sizable number suffer from effects that may continue for weeks or months or longer.

There are many symptoms that people can experience but some of the more common ones are fatigue, “brain fog”, headaches and more.

While this is a new disease and condition, the Department of Justice made it plain a year ago that Long COVID may qualify as a “disability” under the ADA. What does that mean for employers and employees? It means employers may need to provide a reasonable accommodation to such employees, such as assistance in performing the essential functions of the job.

You can find the 2021 guidance from the DOJ here.

There are other laws that may be implicated too — FMLA, CTFMLA, CT Paid Leave, Paid Sick Leave and more. So employers should be sure to evaluate each request by an employee with Long COVID for multiple implications under the applicable laws.

Be sure to listen in. My thanks to host Lucy Nalpathanchil and her senior producer Tess Terrible for the return invitation to the show.  This will be my 9th appearance on the show dating back to 2009. Always grateful to the good folks at WNPR for the invitation back.