Companies Should Rehire Disabled Workers

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settled a disability discrimination lawsuit with Pioneer Health Services, Inc.  The EEOC’s lawsuit alleges that one of Pioneer’s social workers/therapists became disabled and was forced into hospitalization due to liver failure.  The employee requested and was approved for leave for surgery to transplant her liver.  When the employee requested additional leave for several weeks to continue recovering from surgery, however, she was denied.  The company then fired her after she had exhausted company-approved leave.  The lawsuit further claims that the company refused to re-hire the disabled employee several months later for an open social worker/therapist position.  See EEOC v. Pioneer Health Services, Inc., No. 1:17-cv-00016 (N.D. Miss.).