Furniture retailer ordered to pay $110K to manager who refused COVID vaccine – Furniture Today

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Arkansas-based furniture retailer Hanks Furniture has agreed to pay $110,000 to a former manager the company fired for refusing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

The lawsuit, brought forward by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the District Court for Northern Florida in late 2023, alleged Hanks Fine Furniture, which operates 18 stores across four states, fired the assistant manager of its Pensacola, Fla., store after she refused to take the COVID vaccine. She cited her religious beliefs as the reason for her refusal.

Federal court records indicate the settlement was reached Monday. Besides the payout, the company must adhere to a three-year decree, which requires it to adopt and implement a written policy assuring employees it will interpret religious accommodation requests broadly based on EEOC guidance and will accommodate religious beliefs that do not put an undue burden on the company. Also, managers and employees are to receive updated training about religious accommodation and anti-discrimination provisions.

HFI will reasonably accommodate employee and prospective employee religious beliefs during all hiring, discipline and promotion activities as well as when engaging in any activity affecting any other terms and conditions of employment according to the requirements of Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), wrote Judge Casey Rodgers. HFI is permanently enjoined from discriminating against any employee on the basis of religion in violation of Title VII.

Rodgers also said that Hanks cannot require any proof that an employees or applicants objection to any requirement be an official tenet or endorsed teaching of the religious belief.

Hanks has not responded to requests for comment as of this articles publication. At the time the lawsuit was filed, Hanks denied any and all wrongdoing.

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Furniture retailer ordered to pay $110K to manager who refused COVID vaccine - Furniture Today