A manufactured and modular homes dealer will implement new anti-discrimination policies after firing an employee who requested schedule changes related to her disability, federal officials said.
Homes Direct of Oregon, LLC signed a conciliation agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) following an investigation that found the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to the EEOC, the company discharged a housing consultant at its Albany, Oregon location just three days after she requested a schedule accommodation for her disability.
The federal agency’s investigation determined Homes Direct both failed to provide reasonable accommodation and terminated the consultant in retaliation for disclosing her disability.
“Employers need to understand that requesting an accommodation related to a disability is an activity protected under federal law,” said Elizabeth M. Cannon, director of the EEOC’s Seattle Field Office.
Settlement terms
Under the settlement reached through the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, Homes Direct will strengthen its policies for handling discrimination complaints.
The agreement requires the company to conduct separate training sessions for managers and employees about rights and responsibilities under the ADA. The settlement also includes compensation for the consultant who experienced discrimination.
Homes Direct, which operates thirteen locations across five western states, must provide periodic updates to the EEOC for four years.
Legal obligations
Cannon emphasized that employers should engage with individuals requesting accommodations rather than “rushing to a conclusion based on myth or stereotype.”
The EEOC is the federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate employment discrimination violations in the private sector. For public employers, the agency shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The Seattle Field Office that handled the case covers employers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.
