Plaintiffs counsel Lawrence Pearson believes his representation of Kristen Paltz in her federal wrongful-termination lawsuit against Alliance HealthCare Services Inc. is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some employers using COVID-19 to get rid of employees who have complained about management.

“There is a definite pattern in terminations and layoffs of employees who are seen as troublesome because they have made complaints against their employer. They are often weeded out in these layoffs,” said Pearson, a partner with Wigdor in New York City.