Genetic Privacy Suits Rise as Employers Probe Medical Histories

Litigation is advancing in Illinois against major companies that have allegedly asked job seekers to illegally disclose family history of high blood pressure, cancer, and other diseases, raising the threat of hefty damages without clear legal guidance.

Proposed class actions under Illinois’ Genetic Information Privacy Act of 1998, one of few such state laws, have surged since 2023. At least 30 have been filed or moved to federal court in that time, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis of federal dockets.

Many accuse companies of unlawfully requesting medical records or family medical history during pre-employment physicals or fitness-for-duty exams. Some ...