OREGON GROCERY CHAIN SETTLES DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION CHARGE FOR $50K
Accused of engaging in disability discrimination by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an Oregon grocery chain, doing business as JC Market Thriftway, has agreed to settle the dispute for $50,000 in damages, and to modify its employment related practices.
Apparently, after an individual was hired by the company’s owner, the employee advised that the company needed to “carry related medical supplies.” Rather than reasonably accommodate the person's disability, the individual’s employment was terminated. (The company was also alleged to have engaged in “unlawful record-keeping practices.”)
Believing that such conduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the EEOC conducted an investigation and engaged in a “pre-litigation conciliation process which resulted in a settlement that included monetary damages, [and] revisions to {the company's] policies and procedures.”
In a written statement, Elizabeth M. Cannon, director of EEOC’s Seattle Field Office, noted “Under the law, individuals with disabilities are entitled to the same employment opportunities as individuals without disabilities …. Applicants and employees, regardless of disability or need for an accommodation, should be judged on their abilities and qualifications relevant to the essential functions of the position and not on fears, stereotypes, or myths. We applaud JC Market for participating in the conciliation process and collaborating with EEOC to bring about this resolution.”
Think JC Market Thriftway was being thrifty by settling?