An Indiana-based power grid company recently agreed to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit for more than $90,000. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reportedly filed the lawsuit against Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) in response to a complaint filed by a former employee who was allegedly terminated as a result of a medical leave request related to postpartum depression treatment. MISO reportedly fired the employee for lack of attendance despite that the leave she requested was allowed by company policy. MISO also apparently told the employee that she could not be absent due to the critical nature of her job duties. Still, the company purportedly waited nearly two months after her requested return date to fill the former worker’s position.
According to the EEOC, the former worker’s postpartum depression severely limited more than one of her major life activities for a substantial period of time. Because of this, the agency charged that it was a protected disability pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, U.S. employers must provide reasonable accommodations to disabled workers unless the accommodation would cause undue hardship for the employer.
As part of a consent decree, the federal court ordered MISO to pay the former employee $90,500, provide ADA training to company workers, provide annual disability request and compliance reports to the EEOC, and notify other workers about the lawsuit and settlement. The EEOC is also tasked with monitoring company compliance with the ADA over the course of the next three years.
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