On May 4, 2023, the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Mead Johnson & Company, the parent company of the baby formula manufacturer Enfamil, for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a disability at its Zeeland, Michigan facility. 

According to the complaint, the 32-year employee underwent major foot and ankle surgery that was complicated by a postoperative infection, and submitted a letter from her physician indicating that she needed a six-week work-hardening program in which her hours would gradually increase. The employer denied this request and, without any advance notice, posted the employee’s job as vacant, ultimately leading to her early retirement in May 2022.

The EEOC is seeking back pay and compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan as EEOC v. Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, Case No. 1:23-cv-00454-JMB-SJB (W.D. Mich.).

50-State Compliant Accommodations Training for Employees and Managers

Consistent with EEOC guidelines and court decisions, Traliant’s online disability, pregnancy, and religious accommodations training covers how to comply with the law and additional obligations for compliance. Traliant’s accommodations training addresses all of the required content of all federal and state laws. As required by the ADA and various state and local laws, the training addresses topics such as the ADA’s definition of a “qualified person with a disability” and “‘essential functions’ of a job.”

Request a full course preview here. 

Complete Accommodations & EEO Compliance Program

To comply with federal guidelines and state laws, employers must ensure that all aspects of their Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations program are fully compliant. With its in-house legal expertise, Traliant provides employers a complete accommodation awareness program with the following elements:

  • Employee Training on How to Comply with Disability, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodation Laws
  • Accommodations Policy, Notice, and Posting Compliance Service
  • Investigations Training and Investigative Services
  • Sensitivity Coaching

Contact us to schedule a free consultation and review of your accommodation policies here.