An employee who claimed she was fired after becoming pregnant has settled her claim with Humana Inc. to the tune of $500K plus $250K in attorney fees. This, after a U.S. District judge in New Jersey entered a judgement in favor of the plaintiff who sued her former employer and its parent company, Humana Inc., for sex discrimination after she was terminated from her job.
According to court papers, the employee worked with the company for roughly a decade, rising to the rank of regional executive. She said that she witnessed her supervisor and another employee complaining about people taking family and medical leave and, when she subsequently reported her pregnancy, things started to unravel. Shortly after returning from a leave of absence she was fired prompting the lawsuit alleging not only a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but also a violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. The Act covers employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
The Family and Medical Leave Act requires covered employers to provide employees with job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons.
If you have been subject to employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including pregnancy, or if you have been retaliated against or otherwise subject to adverse employment actions after your FMLA leave, it is important to seek guidance to protect your legal rights. Contact the Davenport employment law attorneys of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC for immediate assistance today at 563-355-6478.
Source: New Jersey Law Journal, “Humana Reaches $500,000 Settlement in Pregnancy Discrimination Suit”, March 13, 2019