The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against any person with disabilities in transportation, communications, public accommodation, government activities and employment. Any Florida resident who suffers workplace discrimination because of physical challenges retains the right to hold such an employer accountable. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) strives to protect employees from discrimination of any form.
Lowe's, a chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores in the United States, has reached an $8.6 million settlement with thousands of victims of disability discrimination that were dismissed from their positions with the company. The EEOC determined that Lowe's failed to provide accommodations when workers exceeded the company's rigid leave-of-absence management program that offered no flexibility. Instead of providing accommodation, employees were fired.
According to the settlement, Lowe's must retain an experienced ADA consultant who must review the company's policies and make appropriate modifications. Supervisors and staff of the company must then receive training about the leave of absence policies. Furthermore, an efficient system to track the requests for accommodation submitted by employees must be implemented.
An experienced labor law attorney can help any Florida employee who is the victim of workplace discrimination. A lawyer will be fully informed about the ADA requirements, and he or she can also assist a discrimination victim with reporting such incidents with the EEOC. If a settlement cannot be reached with employers, a skilled attorney can take the case to court and provide powerful representation for any worker who has to deal with challenges to his or her rights under state and federal employment law.
Source: themighty.com, "Lowe's to Pay $8.6 Million to Settle Disability Discrimination Lawsuit", May 13, 2016