Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

DisabilityHealth surveillanceLong CovidOH service deliveryReturn to work and rehabilitation

Long Covid may need to be treated as a disability, lawyer warns

by Ashleigh Webber 13 May 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 13 May 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Organisations may need to consider treating those with ‘long Covid’ as if they have a disability in order to avoid falling into legal hot water, an employment lawyer has warned.

Long Covid

Workers with ‘long Covid’ may need personalised and long-term support

‘Up to a million’ will need long Covid rehabilitation

Lung abnormalities identified in Covid-19 patients months after infection

Ella Bond, a senior solicitor at Harper James Solicitors, said organisations need to be ready for the impact long Covid will have on both their employees and their business, as many are likely to feel the long-term effects of the virus.

Some cases of long Covid may meet the definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Employers should treat employees with long Covid symptoms like they would anybody else with a health condition, by assessing its impact and making adjustments on a case-by-case basis.

Bond said: “While it is still too early to gauge how long some employees may suffer from the illness, employers should keep in mind that it is possible long Covid could meet the definition of being a disability.

“This will depend on its severity, effects and how long a medical practitioner assesses that it has or could last for. In addition, the impact of the illness could exacerbate other conditions or lead to mental health issues such as depression or PTSD. These factors should be kept front and centre of an employer’s mind when dealing with the issue.

“All employers will need to be careful not to fall foul of discrimination legislation as they manage the impact of long Covid in their business.”

Symptoms of long Covid can include breathlessness, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, cognitive dysfunction and organ abnormalities, studies have shown.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

It has been estimated that up to a million people will require treatment for long Covid, which will place significant strain on an already stretched NHS.

Earlier this year, Patient-Led Research for Covid-19, a group of researchers who are also long Covid sufferers, reported that 65% people still had symptoms of the coronavirus at least six months after infection, while 22% had to stop working because of their health.

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Staff shortages threaten respiratory care
next post
Large firms face increasing pressure to tackle executive pay and diversity

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today