You Asked for Help, They Let You Go: The Reality of Employers Ignoring the ADA By: Michelle Zeman
Imagine being employed by a large corporation as a person with a disability. Now imagine being told that your absences from work were excused because you needed time to recover from medical episodes. Now…next thing you know, you get fired from your place of employment. This is a harsh and unfortunate reality for those with disabilities. In one case, a previous Walmart employee in Henderson, NC, had five seizures between January and May 2017. The Walmart location knew about her epilepsy diagnosis and was given doctor’s notes. The location promised her that each absence would be excused; however, they did not explain the reason for her absences. Instead, they fired her due to her attendance. Oh, you thought that was it? Walmart has done this in two other locations in North Carolina. One previous Walmart employee in Raleigh and Statesville, NC, fired an employee for attendance issues when she had to go to the emergency room as a result of her Crohn’s disease. Another Walmart em...