DETROIT (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit March 27 against Simplicity Ground Services PC, a Detroit company that provides airline-ramp and cargo-handling products and services, for alleged pregnancy discrimination.
According to allegations, Simplicity Ground Services forced employee Raylynn Bishop onto unpaid leave because of her pregnancy. Bishop was a tow team driver, helping to transfer baggage on and off commercial flights at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport. Bishop’s role was mainly to drive the vehicle and she was not required to lift objects. Yet when the company learned that Bishop was pregnant and had a 20-pound lifting requirement, it forced her onto unpaid leave.
"The EEOC's investigation showed that pregnant employees were repeatedly treated as ineligible for light-duty assignments, a benefit that was otherwise a possible solution for temporary work restrictions," Kenneth Bird, regional attorney for the Indianapolis District Office, said in a statement. "This case presents an opportunity to remind employers that they cannot exclude pregnant workers from a benefit available to others with similar work limitations, unless there is a legitimate, non-discriminatory justification for doing so."
EEOC's Detroit Field Office is part of the Indianapolis District Office, which oversees agency operations in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and parts of Ohio.