COVID-19: Resources for Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges for workers and their families. This is a collection of resources intended to provide information regarding those challenges.
There is federal and state information included. Federal policies will apply to everyone, but states, counties, and even city policies may vary. When reading, be sure to check that the information applies to your state or locality. If you are a worker in the DMV, see the section at the bottom of the page for free assistance and the sidebar for various area-specific resources.
Information is rapidly changing, so at any moment this may not constitute the most up-to-date information. However, we will be updating as frequently as possible. Also, check out our News and Events.
The information provided on this page does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.
This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; the WRI is not in partnership with any of the third parties.
Organizing and Wokers' Rights
COVID-19: Work Place Safety
- Working Paper: An Ethics Framework for the COVID-19 Reopening Process
- OSHA: US Department of Labor's OSHA issues emergency temporary standard to protect health care workers from the coronavirus
- Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Programs in Employment | Evandro Gigante and Harris Mufson
- ProTrak COVID-19: State-by-State Real Time Updates on Employment and Privacy-Related Rules, Regulations, Orders and Guidance
- NELP: Worker Safety & Health During COVID19 Pandemic: Rights & Resources
- Protecting Yourself at Work During Coronavirus | Safety, Negotiation, and Organizing
- Mortality Rates From COVID-19 Are Lower In Unionized Nursing Homes
- Arise Chicago: How to return to a safe workplace in Illinois (in Spanish, Polish, and English)
- Blue Green Alliance: Safe Job Checklist
- NELP: WHICH STATES AND CITIES HAVE ADOPTED COMPREHENSIVE COVID-19 WORKER PROTECTIONS?
- EPI, A Better Balance, NELP: How Local Governments Can Improve Workplace Standards for Frontline Workers During COVID-19 and Beyond
- 10/25/2021 EEOC Vaccine Exemption Update Regarding Religious Beliefs and Practices
- 11/5/2021: New OSHA rule requires employers to implement mandatory vaccination policy unless employees undergo regular testing and wear masks
- KI's Debbie Berkowitz Answers Questions on OSHA's New COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
Covid-19 Legislation, Policy Updates, and Briefs
- Farm Worker Justice Brief: Transition Priorities to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic in U.S. Farmworker Communities
- Farm Worker Justice Brief: Transition Priorities for the Department of Labor
- The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800 (One pager)
- The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800 (State and Local Coronavirus Relief Funds)
- The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800 (Section-by-Section Summary)
- The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800 (Full Text)
- Protecting Worker Safety & Health in the COVID Crisis: A State & Local Model Policy Response
- COVID–19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020
- Long Lines for Unemployment: How Did We Get Here and What Do We Do Now?
- BLOG: To Protect The Public, Lawmakers Must Help Keep Healthcare Workers Safe
- The U.S. Response to COVID-19: What’s in Federal Legislation and What’s Not, but Still Needed
- State Aid Provisions of the Federal Coronavirus Response Bill
- How Much Each State Will Receive From the Coronavirus Relief Fund in the CARES Act
- Congressional Leaders Agree to Coronavirus Response Package with Funding for Homelessness and Housing
- NLIHC Housing and Homelessness Resources on COVID-19 CARES Act Analysis
- Child Care Industry Left Short By Phase III Stimulus
- COVID Response: Getting Cash to Lower-Income Families - Fact Sheet
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
- Untangling Unemployment Assistance Benefits in 2020: A Flow Chart
- CARES Act Unemployment Insurance Provisions
- A Visual Guide to Unemployment Benefit Claims
- New Guidance on Unemployment Insurance Flexibilities during COVID-19 Outbreak
- Unemployment Benefits Finder (by State)
- Unemployment Insurance Benefits During COVID-19
- Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for NY Unemployment Benefits (with images)
- COVID-19, Paid Leave, Unemployment Flowchart
PAID SICK AND FAMILY LEAVE
- FV@W Factsheets on Local/State Paid Sick Days and Paid Family Leave Laws
- Paid Sick Days –State and District Statutes
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Implications for Workers Affected by COVID-19
- The Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Workers' Health and Safety
- “WE DON’T COME TO WORK TO DIE” A Survey of Transit Unions on the Frontlines of COVID-19
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), May 2020
- Factsheet: Protecting Workers during a Pandemic
- OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
- Map of OSHA state plans
- Temporary OSHA Guidance on Respiratory Protection Standard
- DOL Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- WORKER SAFETY & HEALTH DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: RIGHTS & RESOURCES
ADA AND COVID-19 IN THE WORKPLACE
IMMIGRANTS
- FAQ: Immigrant Workers’ Rights and COVID-19—A Resource for Workers and Their Advocates
- Understanding the Impact of Key Provisions of COVID-19 Relief Bills on Immigrant Communities
- Immigrant Workers' Eligibility for Unemployment Insurance
- USCIS Public Charge Alert
- Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs
- DACA Updates During COVID-19
- Medical Assistance Programs for Immigrants in Various States
- Protecting Asian American and Pacific Islander working people
- COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Communities
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander IN-LANGUAGE Resources for Coronavirus
- Legal Aid at Work: California Undocumented Workers’ Employment Rights
RESTAURANT WORKERS
DOMESTIC WORKERS
Gig Workers and Others Who Work for Themselves
NLRB
- Summaries of Advice Merit Determinations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Issues
- NLRB Issues New Election Rule Concerning Union Representation Election
- National Labor Relations Board Suspends Representation Elections Through April 3, 2020
- Labor Relations During a Pandemic: Employer Duties Under the NLRA in the Wake of COVID-19