Dollar General to Pay $42,500 to Settle Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit

ATLANTA – Nationwide retailer Dolgencorp, LLC, which does business as Dollar General, will pay $42,500 and provide other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Oppor­tunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the EEOC’s suit, the sales associate was fired immediately after informing Dollar General’s store manager of her pregnancy. When the sales associate talked to the store manager about returning to her job, the store manager asked her if it was safe for her to work while pregnant. Although the sales associate assured the manager she could continue working, the manager refused to allow her to return to work. The sales associate later received a separation notice stating she was terminated for “health reasons.”

Such conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC filed suit (Civil Action No. 2:22-cv-00198-RWS-JCF) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. The EEOC sought back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimina­tion.

Under the two-year consent decree resolving the lawsuit, Dollar General will pay $42,500 in monetary damages to the sales associate; revise its anti-discrimination policies; provide annual training to its managers on Title VII; and allow the EEOC to monitor complaints of discrimin­ation.

“We hope this case conveys the seriousness of pregnancy discrimination allegations to employers,” said Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office. “The Commission will continue to seek policy changes, training, and reporting in cases like this to protect employees and applicants from facing pregnancy discrimination in the future.”

Darrell Graham, district director of the Atlanta District Office, said, “The EEOC will continue to enforce the laws that protect pregnant women from unlawful discrimination.”

For more information on pregnancy discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.