Woman Fired After Oxygen Request Wins Settlement

A woman who was fired after asking to bring an oxygen tank to work to help her breathe will get $25,000 in a federal settlement. TriMark Foodcraft also agreed to train its staff on what qualifies as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act as part of a two-year consent decree, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said, per the AP. Jean S. Perry worked as an accounting clerk for TriMark's distribution facility in Winston-Salem, NC, through a temporary placement agency, the EEOC's lawsuit said. In December 2018, she was admitted to a hospital for breathing problems related to a disability. When she tried to return to work and asked to bring a personal oxygen device with her, she was fired.

The manufacturer of commercial kitchen equipment settled the EEOC's suit on Friday, the federal agency announced. The consent decree also requires TriMark to amend its current anti-discrimination policy to include examples of ADA-qualifying job modifications and post the policy where it's visible to employees. The company also is required to hold annual ADA training for human resources employees and specialized training for the person who makes related decisions, as well as to provide periodic reports to the EEOC, according to the news release.

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