Mercedes-Benz fired workers who requested medical leave, feds say. Now it must pay

Mercedes-Benz is accused of firing two Alabama workers who requested time off for medical reasons, federal officials say.

Now, the company owes nearly $440,000.

The car manufacturer violated the Family and Medical Leave Act by firing two production workers after they requested federally protected leaves of absence, the Department of Labor said in a Feb. 29 news release.

The act allows certain employees to take unpaid time off work to care for themselves or other family members due to health reasons or other issues.

“Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (MBUSI) is fully committed to compliance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and expends substantial resources to do so,” a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told McClatchy News in a written statement.

The spokesperson said the company cooperated with the government’s investigation and denied it violated the Family Medical Leave Act.

“While MBUSI believes the referenced two team members were not wrongfully discharged and that its actions were taken in a good faith effort to comply with the FMLA, MBUSI voluntarily cooperated with the DOL and resolved this matter to avoid the future costs and expenses of litigation, as well as to avoid further disruption.”

One production employee requested time off for a “personal serious health condition,” and the other because of a family member’s “qualifying health condition,” officials said.

Mercedes-Benz employees can receive monthly bonuses for attendance, but these two workers were denied their bonuses because of their absences, according to labor officials.

The company is also accused of discriminating against the employees by reprimanding them.

Under the company’s point system, the absences led to the workers being terminated, officials said.

“Employers cannot deprive eligible workers of their legal right to family and medical leave and force them to make the hard choice between keeping their jobs and caring for themselves or their families,” Kenneth Stripling with the Department of Labor said in the release.

The Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told McClatchy News the company provides additional benefits beyond the Family Medical Leave Act, including a short-term disability program that provides workers six months of paid leave.

The company owes the former workers missed wages after termination, three months of front pay and unpaid bonuses, as well as additional damages totaling $438,625.

Investigators said the company also didn’t reinstate workers to their previous or equivalent positions, record their leave, notify employees they can take protected leave if their requests qualify, and educate workers on the “rights and responsibilities” of the act.

This story was originally published March 4, 2024 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Mercedes-Benz fired workers who requested medical leave, feds say. Now it must pay."