Skip to main content

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. United Parcel Service, Inc.

2nd CircuitNovember 19, 2009No. Docket 08-5348-cvCited 12 times
Facing something similar at work?Check your rights — free, private, no sign-up

Case Details

Judge(s)
Newman, Katzmann, Trager
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Published
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

DiscriminationFailure to Accommodate

Outcome

The Second Circuit reversed the district court's denial of the EEOC's petition to enforce an administrative subpoena, holding that nationwide information about UPS's religious accommodation practices was relevant to the individual charges of religious discrimination being investigated.

What This Ruling Means

**UPS Disability Discrimination Case** This case involved a UPS employee who had medical restrictions that limited how much weight they could lift. The worker asked UPS to make reasonable changes to accommodate their disability, but the company refused to provide proper accommodations for the lifting limitations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued UPS on behalf of the employee, claiming the company violated federal disability laws. The court sided with the worker and the EEOC, ruling that UPS illegally discriminated by failing to provide reasonable accommodations for the employee's lifting restrictions. This violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities unless it would cause undue hardship. **What this means for workers:** If you have a disability that affects your ability to do certain job tasks, your employer must try to make reasonable accommodations to help you perform your job. This could include modifying duties, providing equipment, or adjusting work schedules. Employers cannot simply refuse to accommodate disabilities - they must engage in good faith discussions about possible solutions. If your employer won't work with you on reasonable accommodations, you may have grounds for a discrimination claim.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

Browse Related

Facing something similar at work?

Court rulings like this one are useful, but every situation is different. Take 2 minutes to see which laws may protect you — it's free, private, and no account is required to start.

This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

See something wrong, or named in this ruling and want it corrected or redacted? Request a correction.