One message we want Detroit-area residents to hear loud and clear from this blog is that they have rights in the workplace. Certainly, you can be fired if there are performance issues and you can be laid off if economic situations truly merit a reduction in staff. But there are many reasons you cannot legally be dismissed as well.
For instance, federal laws like the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act prevent workers from being let go because they have certain medical, family or ability/disability issues.
Recently, one man sued Sysco Corp., claiming that it fired him when it learned that he had a kidney disease that would require him to undergo a type of dialysis at work. If his allegations are true, then it would seem Sysco Corp. violated the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The 32-year-old father of three said he wanted to keep his $72,000-per-year job, which he had for more than 10 years, but his kidneys were failing. He said he found a way to perform self-dialysis on his lunch break, so he planned to continue working. But he claims that once his bosses found out about his condition, he was let go.
Supposedly, Sysco laid him off due to “economic conditions,” but reportedly, an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determined that only four other people had been dismissed because of economic conditions and they had all been let go four months before this man.
Sysco has not commented on the man’s lawsuit, so it’s too early to tell who is telling the truth. If it is true that this man was let go because he had kidney disease, though, we wish him the best as he stands up for his rights.
Source: Fox News, “Lawsuit claims man lost his job due to medical condition,” Sept. 26, 2012