A Wisconsin woman’s experience was apparently the springboard for a recent lawsuit filed against Walmart. Filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the suit claims that the company engaged in workplace discrimination against its pregnant employees. The company has denied the claims, citing its accommodation policies.
In 2015, the woman discovered she was pregnant and requested that she be transferred to light duty. Walmart has a light duty program specifically to accommodate workers with lifting restrictions, but her request was denied. Rather than lose her job entirely, the woman switched from full-time to part-time work so that she could spend fewer hours per week lifting heavy objects. However, the switch meant she earned less and lost her access to benefits.
The suit points out that a nonpregnant worker with similar lifting restrictions applied for light duty around the same time and at the same distribution center. That worker was granted accommodations. That same distribution center allegedly denied several other light duty requests from pregnant workers between 2014 and 2017. Despite this, Walmart says that it has updated its policy several times over the past years and believes that it provides adequate opportunities to workers who need accommodations.
The workplace discrimination suit seeks back pay for lost wages as well as compensation for other damages, which is common for these types of claims. Discrimination in the workplace often manifests in missed opportunities and loss of wages. Wisconsin victims who have experienced wrongful treatment at work may want to consider if pursuing legal action could help address their situation.