Ok, One More Than I’ll Stop

By now y’all get the point.  This is my third post in a week about how the EEOC seems to focus in on health care and medical providers when it comes to disability claims under the ADA.  You know – good PR and quick settlements when the EEOC can spotlight those in the helping professions who are callous, or worse, when it comes to their own employes with disabilities.

But there’s an another “takeaway.”

The EEOC just announced a settlement of claim against a medical care clinic – “a healthcare provider offering a variety of medical specialists who treat both walk-in and scheduled patients.”

It is alleged that on her first day on the job, a scheduling assistant with vision impairments asked to have a software program installed on her computer to accommodate her impairment. 

She was fired instead, allegedly for not disclosing her disability during her interview.   

So now the health care company will pay $75,000 in settlement.

Takeaway

As the EEOC noted, “This action serves to remind employers that employees need not disclose their disabilities prior to employment, and that they are entitled to accommodations absent undue hardship.”

Also, if you are a health care and/or medical provider, be extra extra special careful to know the anti-discrimination laws or have someone to consult who knows them - the EEOC is zeroing in on you!