A Safelite AutoGlass shop in Texas is in hot water after refusing to hire a qualified female candidate for an auto glass technician trainee position. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently filed a lawsuit against the Company, a vehicle glass repair and replacement business, on the candidate’s behalf, alleging that Safelite AutoGlass refused to hire her simply because she is a woman.
According to the lawsuit, the candidate informed the store manager that she had two years of experience in a repair technician position that required her to lift and move heavy furniture. Even so, the store manager doubted her ability to lift heavy weight, and suggested she instead consider a lower-paying position that involved lifting less weight. Despite meeting the auto glass technician trainee requirements, the candidate received no offer for either position, and the Company instead hired two male candidates who, according to the EEOC, were not better qualified.
The EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and injunctive relief to prevent similar discriminatory behavior in the future.
What this means to you:
Job offers – and candidate rejections – should never be made based on assumptions or based on a candidate’s protected characteristic. Instead, those decisions should be based on factual evidence of a candidate’s ability to perform the job duties.
Make sure your interviewers know what questions they can and cannot ask and statements they can and cannot make during interviews and what decision-makers can and cannot consider in the hiring process. To learn about our Managing Within the Law program or to book a workshop, please call 800-458-2778 or email us.
Updated 10-07-2022
Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.
