An Indiana retail company has settled with the government over a claim of discriminatory practices regarding employee accommodation. Aside from monetary compensation for the employee, the settlement also includes protections against future employee discrimination at the company.
Dolgencorp, LLC, a Muncie-based company which does business under the name Dollar General Store, have settled a lawsuit brought against them by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC claimed that Dollar General neglected to provide accommodation for an employee’s disability, dyslexia. The employee was to take a computer training program which required reading. When the employee asked for help with the reading, his request was denied. The employee was then demoted after refusing to take the test without the accommodation.
The settlement agreement reached by the government and Dollar General involves a payment of $47,500 to the employee. This amount is divided into $40 for back pay, while the remainder is meant for compensatory damages. Additionally, Dollar General has agreed to train its store managers on the Americans With Disabilities Act requirements and how the interactive accommodation process works. The store chain will also post notices at its store locations to inform employees about the federal prohibition of discriminatory practices. For the next two years, Dollar General will report to the EEOC on how it responds to requests for accommodations. The EEOC is confident that future incidents will be avoided.
A workplace that fails to provide reasonable accommodations for its employees with disabilities may be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. An attorney who has experience with cases of workplace disability discrimination may be able to help recover compensation for harm suffered due to discriminatory practices. This can include back pay, compensatory damages and other concessions necessary to prevent future discrimination.
Source: National Law Review, “Dollar General Stores to Pay $47,500 to Settle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Disability Discrimination Lawsuit “, October 27, 2013