Indianapolis Store Forced Out Employee With Disability After Refusing Accommodation, Federal Agency Charged

INDIANAPOLIS - Walmart Stores East, LP will pay $10,000 and furnish other relief to resolve a disability charge filed by the Indianapolis District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

The EEOC's investigation found reasonable cause to believe that the Walmart Stores East, LP store #2787 in Indianapolis refused to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a disability. As a result, the employee was forced to resign, the EEOC said.

Such alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects people against employment discrimination based on disability. The ADA also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with a disability if they need the accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

The conciliation agreement settling the discrimination charge provides $10,000 in monetary relief to the employee. The agreement prohibits Walmart East Stores, LP from violating the ADA in the future, specifically the obligation to reasonably accommodate any employee who qualifies for an accommodation under the ADA. Walmart East Stores, LP also acknowledged its obligation not to engage in unlawful retaliation. Walmart East Stores, LP will reissue its computer-based learning module pertaining to the company's policies against disability discrimination and accommodations in employment, to those salaried members in management in Store #2787. The conciliation agreement also provides for the EEOC to monitor the company's compliance with reporting provisions.

"We are pleased that Walmart worked with us to resolve this matter and hope other employers are reminded of their obligation to accommodate employees with disabilities," said EEOC Indianapolis District Director Michelle Eisele.