FedEx sued for violating federal law by discriminating against the Minnesota driver

Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) violated federal law when it failed to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified and disabled ramp truck drivers with medical restrictions and instead forced them to take unpaid leave or fired them, the Commission charged for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). in a process.

According to the EEOC lawsuit, dated November 29, 2019, FedEx maintained and enforced a 100% cured policy against ramp truck drivers who drive a tractor-trailer and operate mechanical equipment to load and unload pallets or containers loaded with cargo.

When FedEx learned that a ramp driver had medical restrictions, FedEx placed the driver on a temporary 90-day light duty assignment. At the end of that light duty assignment, if the driver still had medical restrictions, FedEx would place the driver on unpaid sick leave that expired after one year, unless the driver qualified for short-term disability benefits or long.

FedEx would not discuss with the driver reasonable accommodations that would have allowed him to continue working, such as obtaining assistance from other employees or using motorized equipment to help move the goods. Instead, the EEOC said, FedEx kept them on unpaid leave until the drivers could prove they could work without restrictions or their leave expired, at which point they were terminated.

The original plaintiff, who filed the charge that initiated the EEOC investigation, was a ramp driver who worked out of a FedEx facility in Minneapolis. She suffered injuries that limited her ability to lift. FedEx placed her on temporary light duty, then unpaid sick leave, and finally fired her because she could not return to work without restrictions, even though she could perform her work with accommodations, to the EEOC said.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations that enable employees to do their jobs, and prohibits employers from having policies that exclude qualified individuals with disabilities.

The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Federal Express Corp., Case No. 0:24-cv-03559) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota after first trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its lawsuit of administrative conciliation. The EEOC is seeking financial relief for all injured individuals it has identified through its investigation. The EEOC is also seeking injunctive relief to prevent FedEx from discriminating against employees with disabilities in the future.

Source: EEOC

TOPICS
Minnesota Personal Auto Lawsuits