Sears Holdings Inc., without admitting any wrongdoing, has settled an Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) claim for $6.2 million, the largest single fine in history according to the enforcing agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The EEOC claims the Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer fired hundreds of employees who took workers’ compensation leave after being injured on the job. The lawsuit said Sears failed to offer injured workers a reasonable accommodation that would have allowed them to return to work.
According to terms of the consent decree signed by Sears, the company agrees to abide by the terms of the ADA and accordingly modify its workers’ compensation policy.