Company Pays $22.5M After Denying WFH to High-Risk Pregnant Worker Resulting in Infant Death
A jury has awarded $22.5 million in damages to a woman whose high-risk pregnancy complications were exacerbated when her employer denied her request to work from home. Despite medical advice for bed rest and limited activity, the company refused her remote work option, eventually placing her on unpaid leave. The company eventually allowed remote work, but by then, it was too late, and she prematurely gave birth to a daughter who died hours later. This verdict comes after the company reportedly rejected earlier settlement opportunities and expresses disagreement with the jury’s characterization of events.
John Q. Hosedrinker