MedStar Health / Medstar Ambulatory Services Agree to Conciliate EEOC Disability Bias Charge

Agreement to Revise Attendance Policy to Accommodate Employees With Disabilities

BALTIMORE - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), MedStar Health, Inc. and MedStar Ambulatory Services, Inc. announced today the successful conciliation and settlement of a charge filed with the agency under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The EEOC reached a voluntary resolution with both employers through the agency's conciliation process following its investigation findings. Neither employer admitted to any wrongdoing or fault in violation of the statute.

In addition to addressing the concerns of the person filing the charge of discrimination, MedStar Health and MedStar Ambulatory Services agreed to implement revised attendance policies that will reasonably accommodate employees with disabilities as required by the ADA. The policies will specifically state that exceptions to their attendance policies will be made when required by the ADA as a reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. Both employers agreed to disseminate their revised policies to all employees and to the posting of EEOC notices. MedStar Ambulatory Services also agreed to conduct training for all current supervisory and human resources employees.

"We are pleased that MedStar Health, Inc. and MedStar Ambulatory Services, Inc. worked with us to revise this matter informally and took proactive measures to ensure that individuals with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations when needed," said EEOC Philadelphia District Director Jamie R. Williamson.

EEOC Baltimore Field Office Director Rosemarie Rhodes added, "We commend MedStar Health and Medstar Ambulatory Services for working cooperatively with the EEOC to resolve this matter prior to litigation. We encourage all employers to review their policies and procedures, including attendance policies, to ensure that they provide for reasonable accommodations and equal opportunities for people with disabilities."

The ADA prohibits workplace discrimination based on disability. The ADA requires employers to provide a reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities, unless it would pose an undue hardship.

The EEOC's Baltimore Field Office is one of four offices in the EEOC Philadelphia District Office, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and parts of New Jersey and Ohio.

Addressing emerging and developing areas of law, including inflexible leave policies that discriminate against individuals with disabilities, is one of six national priorities identified by the EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan.

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.