Lucia Cortez filed a discrimination claim against Chipotle Mexican Grill. However, a federal judge decided to rule in favor of the restaurant. Lucia said that she suffered a miscarriage while she was at work. She fell into a depression because she had been trying to get pregnant for years.
Lucia requested time off because of her medical issues. Her manager gave her 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Lucia later said that she would need an additional month off. Her manager gave her another courtesy month off. She later got another month off after she contacted the employee benefits center.
Chipotle asked Lucia to provide medical documentation, but she failed to do that. The restaurant told her that her position was going to be given to another person. Lucia asked to be put back on the schedule. However, Chipotle would not let her work until she gave her manager medical documentation that said she would be able to work again.
Lucia was eventually fired because she never provided the medical documentation. However, Chipotle said that she would be able to get her job back if she re-applied for it. They also said that she would not lose any of her benefits if she re-applied for the job.
Lucia decided to sue the restaurant instead of re-applying for the job. The jury ruled in favor of the restaurant because they found that the reason she lost her job was because she did not return to work. They also found that Chipotle did everything that they could to accommodate the woman’s medical condition.
Employers are able to request medical documentation saying that a person is fit to return to work after medical leave.
Call a Los Angeles Employment Lawyer
Disability discrimination in the workplace is a common occurrence. The good news is that you can call a disability discrimination lawyer for advice and legal assistance. A disability discrimination attorney Los Angeles can help you get compensated.
