Monday, February 1, 2021
A look at the most significant cases and stories in class and collective litigation last year, and the anticipated impact of these developments in 2021:
1. Pandemic-related class actions lie in wait
The COVID-19 pandemic was the most significant challenge employers had to reckon with in 2020, and COVID-19-related litigation continues to evolve alongside the ever-changing workplace. Although companies faced an onslaught of employment claims related to the pandemic and its operational and financial impact, relatively few of these were class filings.
According to the Jackson Lewis COVID-19 Employment LitWatch, there were more than 1,300 COVID-19 related employment complaints filed in federal and state courts in 2020; only 67 of those complaints were class or collective actions. However, multi-plaintiff lawsuits are expected to pick up steam in 2021, as the nation continues to contend with the most recent surge and the pandemic’s ongoing economic fallout.