Home Depot Involved in California Labor Lawsuit
Posted: Friday, November 1st, 2013 at 7:23 am
The home hardware giant Home Depot is facing a potential lawsuit after an employee at the Orange County, California, branch accused the company of discriminating against gay employees. This violates California state labor laws that prohibit the discrimination of employees based on age, race, sexual orientation, and more, and ensures that workers of the same level receive equal pay, time off, etc. The accusations specifically state that Home Depot discriminates to avoid providing benefits offered under California’s Domestic Relation Act, which gives same-sex couples the same rights as a married couple.
The lawsuit was filed on October 14 by plaintiff Hardy Housh, according to the Courthouse News Service. Home Depot’s defense to the accusations is concern over financial hardships; according to the company, medical costs are too high due to costs associated with AIDS and HIV, diseases often assumed to be rampant within the homosexual community. Housh worked for Home Depot for over 25 years before he was terminated. The reason for his termination, according to Housh, is that the company faced financial difficulties and sought out employees based on age and sexual orientation. Housh reports that he received sexually explicit photographs through his email, and was written up for fake reasons prior to the event. After adding his partner to the insurance plan, Housh began facing increased discrimination and harassment.
California takes labor laws seriously, owing to its past difficulties with the acceptance of the large homosexual community. While Home Depot has denied any of the allegations, Housh seeks a payment of $100,000. It is illegal for any place of business to discriminate based on sexual orientation, but in times of financial hardship, it can be difficult to prove the reasons why someone was let go. If you feel you have been wrongfully terminated from a place of employment, seek out your state’s labor laws and seek legal counsel.
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