A major department store chain recently paid through the nose for failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What happened
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) went after Sears, Roebuck & Co., when the company terminated 235 former workers immediately following their return to work after being out on workers’ compensation leave.
Sears violated the ADA when it refused to provide reasonable accommodations to employees who were returning from workers’ comp leave, the EEOC said.
Result: Sears agreed to settle for $6.2 million, and each employee in the suit will receive around $26,300. That’s the largest total settlement in the history of the EEOC.
In addition, Sears improved its workers’ compensation leave process and posted notices regarding the decree, according to EEOC officials.
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