Top 10 HR questions March 2022: is long Covid a disability?

When managing employees with long Covid, employers need to remember their obligations under disability discrimination law.

Whether long Covid meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 is the subject of one of the FAQs in the top 10 for March. This question is relevant for deciding if the employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for the employee.

The end of coronavirus restrictions means that employers have to decide on their policies around coronavirus-related absence and sick pay. The three top questions this month address issues arising from the changes to covid rules.

The top 10 HR questions in March 2022:

1. How should employers respond to the removal of coronavirus restrictions in England? 

2. Can an employer require an employee to attend work if they test positive for coronavirus but are asymptomatic? 

3. If an employee is advised to self-isolate to avoid the risk of spreading coronavirus, are they entitled to sick pay? 

4. Is long Covid a disability under the Equality Act 2010? 

5. What can employers do to support employees who are observing Ramadan? 

6. Can an employee take annual leave while on long-term sickness absence? 

7. When calculating their gender pay gap, how should employers deal with employees who join or leave part way through the pay period? 

8. If an employee resigns after disciplinary proceedings have started should the employer continue the procedure? 

9. If a fixed-term position becomes permanent, should it be offered to the current post-holder, or should the position be advertised first? 

10. Can unused statutory annual holiday be carried forward to the next holiday year?