Metal goods maker settles EEOC disability bias charges

A global metal goods manufacturer has agreed to pay $1 million to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges that it systematically discriminated against disabled employees, the agency said Tuesday.

The EEOC said Memphis, Tennessee-based Mueller Industries Inc. terminated employees and/or failed to provide reasonable accommodations for workers who exceeded its maximum 180-day leave policy.

It also said the company violated federal law by implementing an attendance policy that assigned points to employees’ absences regardless of reason, and effectively terminated employees once a certain number of points were accumulated.

The company was charged with violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the settlement agreement, in addition to paying the $1 million, Mueller Industries agreed to reinstate affected individuals, appoint an ADA coordinator, revise its written policies and procedures regarding its complaint procedures, and implement training, among other measures.

“We applaud the efforts by Mueller Industries in reaching a resolution with the EEOC that provides both meaningful monetary relief and important companywide equitable relief for its employees with disabilities," Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles district office, said in a statement.

A company spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Earlier this month, a Salt Lake City-based supermarket chain agreed to pay $832,500 to resolve EEOC charges under the ADA that it denied reasonable accommodations to disabled individuals.