Verizon retailer pulls pregnant woman’s job offer when she needed ultrasound, feds say
A Verizon retailer pulled a pregnant woman’s job offer because she “urgently” needed an ultrasound and to see a high-risk pregnancy doctor on her first day of training, according to a federal lawsuit.
The woman hired as a sales consultant for Victra was days away from the training session at one of the company’s locations in Reno, Nevada, when an ultrasound technician called her about seeing a doctor for potential pregnancy complications, a complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says.
The first available appointment was the day of her training, and the next available appointment was in three months, the complaint says.
The woman sent a text message to a Victra district sales manager, saying “there might be something wrong with (her) daughter’s heart” and that she had an ultrasound scheduled in December 2021, according to the complaint.
The sales manager responded eight hours later, telling her “I’m so sorry to hear about that,” and informed her Victra was taking back its job offer, the complaint says.
“I’ll send positive vibes your way and hope it was a mistake. I don’t mean to add additional stress but I spoke to (the) HR Department and unfortunately we are going to have to close out this position. Until you feel you can 100% attend you are going to have to reapply once you can,” the sales manager wrote in the text, according to the complaint.
The EEOC learned that Victra has allowed new hires to reschedule training sessions for different reasons other than pregnancy, the agency said in an Oct. 8 news release.
The EEOC is suing Victra, accusing the company of discriminating against the woman because of her pregnancy and possible medical complications in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the agency.
Victra, which has nearly 1,700 locations in the U.S., didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment Oct. 9.
“Victra regarded (the woman) as having a disability based on her announcement of potential pregnancy-related complications and rescinded its job offer because of their perceptions,” the EEOC’s lawsuit says.
She was fully qualified as a sales consultant and had previously worked for Victra in a sales position years earlier, according to the complaint.
“Workers should never be forced to choose between keeping their job or seeking urgent prenatal care to protect the health of both parent and child,” Nancy Sienko, district director for the EEOC’s San Francisco district, said in a statement.
“Losing the ability to earn income at such a critical time is devastating, and the EEOC will vigorously defend the rights of pregnant applicants and employees against employment discrimination,” Sienko said.
The lawsuit was filed after the EEOC tried to reach a pre-litigation settlement with Victra, according to the agency.
With the lawsuit, the EEOC is seeking to recover back pay and damages for the woman — as well as relief to prevent future discrimination, the agency said.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Verizon retailer pulls pregnant woman’s job offer when she needed ultrasound, feds say."
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