ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - A national hotel group will pay $20,000 in restitution for firing a worker because she was serving jury duty, said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on July 21.
Wyndham Hotel Group allegedly fired the female employee even though she hadn't received any negative or disciplinary feedback during her time working at the Wyndham Midtown 45 hotel in Manhattan. State law prohibits companies from firing or letting employees go due to jury duty. Schneiderman said she was serving on a jury in Bronx Supreme Court.
“Jury duty is the keystone of our justice system and employers are legally barred from penalizing workers who are selected to serve,” Schneiderman said. “My office will pursue penalties against companies who violate the law. We cannot tolerate employers who fire or otherwise retaliate against workers for performing an essential civic duty.”
The worker was fired in March 2014 after she was summoned for jury duty in February. She had been working at the hotel since November 2013. She was selected to serve on a murder trial in the Bronx Supreme Court, and was fired on March 20, 2014, Schneiderman said.
Wyndham operates hotels around the world including several in the New York area.