US telecommunications giant is accused of discriminating against disabled employees
Verizon will pay $20m to settle a recent lawsuit brought against the company by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The company was accused of discriminating against disabled workers by disciplining or firing them when they needed more time off than company policy permitted.
“Hopefully this nationwide decree will further public awareness of the importance of engaging in an individualised interactive process to determine whether a disabled employee must be accommodated” said the EEOC’s general counsel David Lopez to Bloomberg.
Verizon said it agreed to settle the complaint “solely because it is in the best interest of our company, our employees and our customers to avoid the disruption, delay and expense of protracted litigation” as reported on businessinsurance.com.
Verizon is a global telecommunications company based in New York. According to the company’s annual report it had an operating income of $14.64bn in 2010.
