Walmart Settles 3 NC Lawsuits for $175K After Firing Employees With Medical-Related Absences
NORTH CAROLINA – Walmart has settled three lawsuits for a total of $175,000 in North Carolina following allegations that it fired employees for taking absences related to their medical conditions, including epilepsy. Federal officials announced the settlements, emphasizing that the company does not tolerate discrimination.
In an Oct. 3 statement, a Walmart spokesperson said, “We don’t tolerate discrimination of any kind and provide reasonable accommodations to thousands of associates. We are glad that we have resolved this matter.”
The legal issues stem from a September 2016 case involving an employee at a Henderson location who was diagnosed with a seizure disorder. According to a complaint filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the employee’s mother, acting as her legal guardian, informed the Walmart supervisor about the diagnosis and provided a doctor’s note. She indicated that her daughter would occasionally need to miss work to recover from seizures.
Despite the mother’s notification, the supervisor allegedly stated that Walmart does not accept doctor’s notes but would excuse the employee’s absences as long as the supervisor was informed of their reasons. Between January and May 2017, the employee experienced five seizures, all of which her mother reported to Walmart. However, the company did not excuse her absences as promised. On May 23, 2017, just two days after the employee missed a shift due to a seizure, Walmart terminated her employment, citing attendance issues.
The EEOC determined that Walmart failed to provide a “reasonable accommodation” of intermittent leave, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As announced on Oct. 2, the agency awarded the employee $50,000.
Additionally, the EEOC filed two more lawsuits against Walmart locations in Raleigh and Statesville. In one case, the company agreed to pay $85,000 to a former employee with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting the gastrointestinal system. Walmart allegedly did not excuse her absences, including those related to emergency room visits, leading to her job loss.
In another case, a man with epilepsy was reportedly demoted and then fired due to absences associated with his condition. Walmart agreed to pay him $40,000 as part of the settlement.
As part of the consent decrees resulting from these lawsuits, Walmart will provide training on the ADA and ensure compliance with its policies without admitting any wrongdoing in the three cases.