Sacramento Electrical Company Fined for Violations of California Labor Law
Acme Electrical Corporation was fined $846,300 for allegedly firing an employee due to the fact that he had cancer. This violation of the state's labor law led to the awarding of the money to the affected individual.
Charles Richard Wideman had reportedly worked for the company as western regional sales manager overseeing sales operations in Acme's largest territory. He was employed in this position from February 2004 to March 2008, according to the news source.
Wideman developed kidney cancer in 2006 and prostate cancer in 2007. His illnesses reportedly required two surgeries and numerous disease-related outpatient appointments to try and help him recover, the news provider said.
According to the DFEH, the company immediately granted his requests for time off for recuperative leave and surgery. Although this was allowed, Wideman reportedly requested further accommodation for the travel limitations that his cancer had caused him from June 2006 through April 2007.
It was at this juncture when Acme allegedly refused to grant or "even acknowledge these accommodation requests," according to authorities. Instead of the issuance for Wideman, the company is accused of giving him an unfavorable performance evaluation and criticizing him for insufficient travel, according to the news source.
"California's Fair Employment and Housing Act provides that persons with disabilities, such as cancer, must be reasonably accommodated, so that they can continue to work productively," Phyllis Cheng, director of DFEH, said in a statement. "This historic administrative victory underscores the department's commitment to vindicating the rights of Californians victimized by workplace discrimination."
The state's Fair Employment and Housing Commission found Acme had violated California law by failing to accommodate Wideman's known travel limitation due to the two cancers.
This was the not the only California labor law violation that was cited recently, as a smaller, family-owned electrical business??"Wulff Electric??"recently entered into a settlement because of alleged wage payment failure, according to the Vacaville Reporter.
"Many of Wulff Electric's workers were unaware of the prevailing wage laws that protect worker rights," a representative for the Northern California Electrical Construction Industry-Labor Management Cooperative Trust told the news source.
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