Has the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rise in class action employment lawsuits? Not yet, according to the numbers. For now, COVID employment litigation has been comprised mostly of single-plaintiff claims. Whether the dam will hold, however, remains to be seen.

The Jackson Lewis COVID-19 Employment Lit-Watch tracks labor and employment litigation developments nationwide, as sifted from thousands of court filings daily, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The tool allows users to track the trajectory, over time, of both class action and individual COVID-related filings by category, by industry, and by individual state.

A powerful tool. Users can compare federal and state filings, drill down by class actions or individual claims, view the number of complaints filed per week, or the cumulative count of all complaints to see how they have changed (or held steady) over time. Users can highlight an individual state to review a list of every complaint filed, organized by category, view more detailed information about an individual complaint, and compare the ratio of COVID incidences in a given locale to COVID litigation.

What the data shows. According to the latest Lit-Watch data (updated most recently on September 28):

  • There have been 727 employment-related complaints filed in state and federal courts alleging COVID-19 related claims.
  • Of the complaints filed, 45 have been asserted as proposed class or collective actions, just six percent of complaint filings.
  • Two-thirds of COVID-related employment claims have been filed in state courts.
  • There was a sharp spike of case filings at the end of August; however, new suits have leveled off in recent weeks.
  • By a significant margin, the healthcare industry has faced the largest number of overall complaints.
  • As for potential class actions, there is no clear leader, but suits against employers in the hospitality/restaurant and retail industries were more likely than other industries to be defending class actions.
  • Disability, leave, and accommodation claims comprise the greatest number of individual COVID-19-complaints.
  • Wage and hour claims constitute the bulk of class claims (consistent with employment class litigation generally), with workplace safety claims second.
  • It will be no surprise that the majority of cases are brought in California. However, a clear majority of class action COVID cases have been filed in Florida.

Click here to access the COVID-19 Employment Lit-Watch.

Jackson Lewis: Your COVID-19 compliance resource. Jackson Lewis will continue to track COVID-19 litigation trends as we navigate the pandemic and its impact on employers. The pandemic continues to alter the reality of how we live and work. What will never change is our commitment to provide you with the practical guidance you need to minimize legal risk while simultaneously reimagining your workplace.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Stephanie L. Adler-Paindiris Stephanie L. Adler-Paindiris

Stephanie L. Adler-Paindiris is a Principal and the Co-Leader of the firm’s Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group. Her practice focuses exclusively on the representation of employers at the trial and appellate level in state and federal courts facing class and collective…

Stephanie L. Adler-Paindiris is a Principal and the Co-Leader of the firm’s Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group. Her practice focuses exclusively on the representation of employers at the trial and appellate level in state and federal courts facing class and collective actions as well as claims of discrimination, retaliation or whistleblowing activity on an individual basis.  She also appears regularly before administrative judges and agencies.

Ms. Adler-Paindiris has conducted over a dozen trials before juries and judges in state and federal courts. In addition, Ms. Adler has participated in arbitrations and administrative hearings before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings as well as AAA and FINRA. Ms. Adler-Paindiris has successfully defended appeals before four Courts of Appeals and has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ms. Adler-Paindiris also provides on-going legal support and counsel on a daily basis for many of her clients. She routinely provides training to managers and supervisors in all areas of employment law, including but not limited to, supervisory training, sexual and racial harassment prevention, disciplinary practice, documentation policies, safety and disability management.

Ms. Adler-Paindiris is also the Co-Leader of Jackson Lewis’ Women’s Interest Network or “WIN” working with the firm’s women attorneys and clients to increase diversity and inclusion efforts both internally and with our clients.

Ms. Adler-Paindiris is active in her community supporting a number of organizations related to her five children. She is also passionate about volunteering her time and services to the Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations.

Photo of David R. Golder David R. Golder

David R. Golder is a principal in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is co-leader of the Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group.

Photo of Eric R. Magnus Eric R. Magnus

Eric R. Magnus is a principal in the Atlanta, Georgia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is co-leader of the Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group. His practice is focused on defending federal and state wage and hour class and collective actions…

Eric R. Magnus is a principal in the Atlanta, Georgia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is co-leader of the Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group. His practice is focused on defending federal and state wage and hour class and collective actions in jurisdictions across the United States.