As new tech tools become part of routine workplace processes, HR has to stay alert for compliance risks those technologies may introduce.
Case in point: Pearson Education agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve an EEOC dispute alleging disability discrimination tied to online platforms it used.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Pearson required employees to use online platforms to access info about their benefits and leave, and to complete required training.
The problem, the EEOC alleged, was that Pearson failed to make the online platforms accessible to employees with visual impairments. Specifically, the employer failed to provide visually impaired employees who use screen-reading software with reasonable accommodations to enable equal access to the platforms and training on par with non-visually impaired employees, the agency claimed.
In the EEOC’s view, this alleged conduct violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The agency filed a lawsuit in New Jersey after attempting to reach an agreement through its conciliation process.
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