Masks cover couriers' faces. Gloves protect cashiers' hands. Infrared thermometers scan manufacturers' foreheads. Meanwhile, anyone who can work from home does.

This is the world of work right now, a reality many in the U.S. may have considered the stuff of apocalyptic thrillers until mid-March. Facing the threat of mass transmission, employers had to act. What started as inquiries into employees' foreign travels quickly transformed into symptom checks; quarantines; and furloughs, layoffs and terminations. As employers enacted these policies and more, federal agencies urged employers to heed anti-bias laws.

Below are five stories that detail the push against discrimination as the virus and the panic it caused entered the workplace.