A new lawsuit launched by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accuses FedEx Ground Package System Inc. of discriminating against both employees and job applicants who are either deaf or hard-of-hearing.
The complaint, filed last month but not announced until last week, alleges that the delivery company has routinely failed for several years to accommodate deaf or hard-of-hearing workers with sign language interpretation and other services necessary for ensuring their continued job performance. The lawsuit accuses FedEx of not only marginalizing these employees — whose conditions are well-known by the company — but also discriminating against job applicants with similar disabilities. Failing to provide proper accommodations to provenly disabled workers and applicants with equipment necessary for working is a clear violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
"The EEOC alleges that during operation for new hires and during mandatory initial tours of its facilities, FedEx Ground didn't provide American Sign Language interpretation and closed-captioned training videos," reports The Wall Street Journal. "That failure extended to staff and safety meetings, the agency said. The company also 'refused' to provide equipment substitutions and modifications, such as scanners that vibrate instead of beep, the EEOC says."
EEOC filed the lawsuit after 19 charges throughout the country were levied against FedEx and talks of a pre-litigation settlement fell through.
If you or a loved one have a disability that you believe your employer is either failing to accommodate, or actively discriminating against you for, don't hesitate to contact the employment discrimination lawyers of The Meyers Law Firm. Our expert attorneys can handle your case with the utmost care and fight for any damages you might be owed.