Here’s something companies of all stripes should remember: Slashing the work hours of disabled employees can leave them wide open to lawsuits.
More often than not, those suits end in costly settlements at the company’s expense.
A recent example: An employee for Target took medical leave because of a seizure he’d suffered.
When he returned to work, his weekly hours had been reduced from 17 to just eight.
In response, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on behalf of the employee, claiming that the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In the end, Target agreed to settle the lawsuit with the employee for $160K.
But that’s not all: The retail giant will also have to designate an ADA coordinator and draft a company policy regarding reasonable accommodations.
