2. Unlawful Employment Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic During these uncertain times, employers and employees alike are struggling to understand their legal rights and obligations. To that end, there has been a great deal of COVID-specific guidance provided by state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Commission, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and Office of the Attorney General. It is important to remember that neither a global pandemic nor an economic recession can be used as a shield by employers to carry out unlawful employment practices. Indeed, as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has noted, just because an employer may be required to "reduce its workforce does not mean that it is free to make its employment decisions on impermissible grounds: 'even during a legitimate reorganization or workforce reduction, an employer may not dismiss employees for unlawful discriminatory reasons." See Sullivan v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 444 Mass. 34, 41- 42 (2005). If you think that you may have been illegally targeted, seek legal counsel as soon as possible and prior to waiving any legal rights.