Sam’s Club and parent company Walmart will pay $60,000 to end a federal disability discrimination lawsuit after a Georgia worker claimed she was denied accommodations following a car accident and later fired.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the deal Thursday, finalizing a consent decree that closes the case but requires Sam’s Club to take corrective action.
Training and Monitoring Requirements
Under the agreement, Sam’s East Inc. and Walmart Inc. must conduct two annual training programs for managers, supervisors, and HR staff at the Douglasville, Georgia, Sam’s Club where the worker, Patrice Campbell Joseph, was employed.
The training will emphasize obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and clarify that an employee’s eligibility for accommodation does not depend on how the disability arose.
The companies are also ordered to:
-
Provide periodic reports to the EEOC on any future denials of accommodation at the Douglasville store.
-
Post workplace notices reminding staff of their ADA rights.
Neither company admitted wrongdoing in the settlement.
