Posted 03-11-2015
Steve Duggan replies:
You also advised that you have a pacemaker, need to take breaks to slow down your heart rate, and your boss knew of your condition when you were hired. Yet, you were fired after 4 ½ months. Your heart condition is clearly a disability, for which an employer would need to provide a reasonable accommodation. It is illegal to fire someone because of a disability, or refuse to provide that accommodation. However, in a court case, the owner is entitled to rely on a presumption that, because he knew of your disability and need for breaks before you were hired, that there was some other reason for the termination. It would be your responsibility in a lawsuit to prove that the reason offered by the employer was untrue, and the most likely reason was your need for breaks. However, you don’t have to go to court to enforce your rights; you can also make a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity office in your state, or your state’s fair employment practices agency. In fact, the laws require you to do that before filing a lawsuit. I suggest you confer with a local labor and employment attorney to discuss your options and evaluate the potential of pursuing a claim.
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.
