Employers Are Required To Make Reasonable Accomodations For Employees With Disabilities

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently filed a lawsuit against a hospital alleging disability discrimination after the company terminated an employee who had requested leave for her medical condition.  The EEOC’s lawsuit claims that in May 2016, the hospital terminated Wendy Kelley after she requested the reasonable accommodation of being allowed leave in order to receive treatment for her medical condition.  The EEOC alleges that the hospital chose to terminate her employment rather than make the reasonable accommodation.  Kelley had requested two weeks of leave after her doctor placed restrictions on her mandating that she not work during this time.  Indeed, Kelley fainted while she was on the way to ask her supervisor for the leave.  Kelley’s request for leave was denied, and she was terminated.  The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against employees, including termination, because of a disability.  See EEOC v. Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Inc., No. 1:17-CV-00201 (M.D. Ga.).