Medical device manufacturer Medtronic will pay $75,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit over the firing of a temporary worker, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced last week.
The Minneapolis-based company had been accused of firing a temporary employee at its Greenwood, South Carolina, facility because of disability-related absences, according to the EEOC. The agency also said the company did not provide reasonable accommodation to the employee and refused to hire her into a permanent position because of her disability.
The employee was a forklift driver and waste hauler assigned to Medtronic by a staffing firm, according to the EEOC. The employee, who was born with one kidney and an under-formed bladder, missed a few days of work because of disability-related health issues. The employee returned to work and presented a doctor’s note, but Medtronic fired her at the end of her shift, citing violation of its attendance policy.
However, the alleged actions by Medtronic ran counter to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employers from firing qualified workers with disabilities, according to the EEOC.
In addition to paying $75,000, Medtronic will provide ADA training to staff, distribute a workplace accommodations policy and provide the EEOC with reports over the next two years.