The U.S. Equal Employment Alternative Fee is suing Papa Johns for not permitting a blind job applicant to maintain his service canine within the restaurant with him whereas he labored, in response to a Yahoo Information report.
Michael Barnes utilized for and was employed at an Athens, Georgia Papa John’s, having been instructed his service animal wouldn’t be an issue within the restaurant.
The restaurant later recanted, telling Barnes he may work with out his canine, Indie, or be fired. Barnes instructed restaurant administration that he wanted the canine to get to and from work and was subsequently fired.
The EEOC is suing on Barnes’ behalf, claiming Papa John’s discriminated in opposition to him, who mentioned he did not want Indie to work and the canine may very well be evaded meals and folks. The EEOC mentioned Barnes’ request to maintain his canine on website is protected by the People with Disabilities Act.
“Employers should consider such requests on their particular person deserves,” Marcus G. Keegan, the regional legal professional for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Workplace, mentioned in a information launch from the EEOC. “They might not, as Papa John’s has completed, reject such requests primarily based on imprecise and unspecified ‘well being and security’ considerations.”
The EEOC desires Papa Johns to compensate Barnes for emotional ache, despair and extra over his firing.
When Pizza Market reached out to Papa Johns, we acquired this assertion from a spokesperson: “Papa Johns is dedicated to sustaining a various and inclusive tradition for all of our group members, together with these with disabilities. We don’t discriminate in opposition to any group member or applicant on the idea of any attribute protected by statute or native regulation. In compliance with the People with Incapacity Act (ADA), we make cheap lodging for the identified bodily or psychological limitations of an in any other case certified particular person with a incapacity who’s a group member or an applicant, until undue hardship would outcome.
This coverage governs all features of employment, together with recruitment, choice, job project, compensation, corrective motion, termination and entry to advantages and coaching.”
