Sometimes, finding the right accommodation for an employee’s disability can be difficult. Other times, there’s a simple solution.
A nurse was let go after doctors repeatedly complained she had trouble hearing their instructions. The woman wore hearing aides in both ears, but that didn’t help the predicament.
She was placed in another position temporarily and told she could look for another job in the hospital. Instead, she quit and sued the hospital for disability discrimination.
Apparently, the woman told the doctors about an easy way to fix the communication issue: All they had to do was stop listening to loud music in the operating room.
According to the EEOC, who took up the case, such a simple accommodation shouldn’t have a problem. The employer couldn’t get the case thrown out, and ended up settling for $100,000.
Cite: EEOC and Reherman v. St. John Health System
