WASHINGTON, D.C. — Stanley Black & Decker has settled allegations by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that the tool manufacturer fired an employee for poor attendance due to work absence for cancer treatments and medical appointments.
According to a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) March 3 news release, Stanley Black & Decker fired a sales representative working at its Maryland facility because of poor attendance. The EEOC says the employee's firing violated The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because the company denied her request for unpaid leave, which was a reasonable accommodation of her disability due to her cancer treatment.
"We encourage employers to review their policies and procedures, including attendance policies, to ensure they provide for reasonable accommodations and equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities," EEOC Philadelphia District director Jamie Williamson said in a statement.
The settlement includes Stanley Black & Decker paying $140,000 in monetary relief and a three-year consent decree enjoining the company from any future denying of reasonable accommodations, according to the EEOC. The company will also revise its attendance policy to include reasonable accommodations and provide ADA training to its employees, the EEOC said.