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

# UPS Discrimination Case Summary **What Happened** The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued United Parcel Service, claiming the company discriminated against workers with monocular vision (sight in only one eye). These employees wanted driving positions but were denied jobs based on their vision condition. The workers argued UPS failed to accommodate their disability as required by law. **What the Court Decided** The court reached a split decision. It agreed that monocular vision counts as a disability under California law. However, it allowed UPS to reject some workers from driving jobs because the company argued safety concerns justified the restriction. The court sent the other group's case back to a lower court for additional review of federal disability law. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows courts recognize that having vision in only one eye is a protected disability. However, it also established that employers can sometimes refuse to hire disabled workers if they claim genuine safety reasons. Workers with disabilities should understand they have legal protections, but employers may still deny certain positions if safety is a legitimate concern. Each case gets individual review.