COMPANY REFUSED TO LET DISABLED EMPLOYEE SIT AT A STOOL
299 Madison Ave., LLC, doing business as “Library Hotel,” is said to have violated federal law because it refused to accommodate a disabled employee (who suffered from musculoskeletal impairments) because it declined that individual’s request to sit at a stool while working at the front desk and also refused a request to limit walking.
Faced with those impediments, the employee was reportedly compelled to resign.
Believing that such conduct violated the ADA, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit in the Southern District of New York, (EEOC v. 299 Madison Ave LLC, d/b/a Library Hotel, Civil Action No.1:23-cv-08306), seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In a written statement, Timothy Riera, acting director of the EEOC New York District Office noted that “The EEOC is committed to ensuring that employees with disabilities enjoy equal employment opportunities in the workplace, including in the hospitality industry …. When a reasonable accommodation exists and does not pose an undue hardship for the employer, the employer cannot refuse to grant the accommodation request simply because it conflicts with internal policy.”
This ain’t gonna be no storybook ending, folks.
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