PHOENIX – A nationwide health care company headquartered in Scottsdale will pay $150,000 and furnish other relief to settle a lawsuit for pregnancy discrimination, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in its lawsuit, that Community Care Health Network, LLC, d/b/a Matrix Medical Network, rescinded a job offer for a credentialing manager position to Patricia Andrews within a week of learning she was pregnant. The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that Andrews was offered the position after a lengthy interview process that included her flying to Arizona twice for in-person interviews at Matrix Medical’s Scottsdale headquarters.
The EEOC charged that within a week after learning she was pregnant, Matrix Medical accused Andrews of not informing the company she was pregnant during the interview process and then withdrew its job offer.
According to the EEOC, pregnancy discrimination is a form of sex discrimination that is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The consent decree entered on August 7, 2019, prohibits Matrix Medical from discriminating on the basis of sex, including pregnancy, in the future. The decree requires Matrix Medical to pay $150,000 and issue a letter of apology to Andrews. The decree also requires the company to review and revise its equal employment opportunity policies, revise its personal leave-of-absence policy to include a provision that pregnant employees may take leave during their first six months of employment, and train its supervisors on Title VII and other anti-discrimination laws.
“Pregnancy discrimination remains a major barrier for women in the workforce,” said EEOC Phoenix District Office Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill. “More than 40 years after the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, employers still choose not to hire pregnant applicants or to fire employees after learning they are pregnant. The EEOC will continue its efforts to ensure pregnant applicants and employees are able to work free from the threat of discrimination.”
Elizabeth Cadle, district director of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office, said, “We appreciate Matrix Medical’s cooperation in reaching an early resolution of this case and its commitment to instituting policies and training to ensure that employees’ rights are protected moving forward.”