EEOC reaches $2 million settlement with two Colorado medical transport firms in beard religious bias case
Key points
- The two companies agreed to pay $2 million to resolve EEOC allegations
- The EEOC alleged employees were forced to shave or be fired, and that reasonable accommodations were not provided for religious or medical reasons
- The suit was filed in September 2022 in Colorado federal court; it says the companies declined a respirator that fits over a beard
Two Colorado-based emergency medical transport companies agreed to pay $2 million to resolve EEOC allegations. The EEOC sued Global Medical Response and American Medical Response and its subsidiaries in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado in September 2022, alleging the companies forced employees to shave beards or be fired and failed to provide reasonable accommodations to emergency responders who kept beards for religious or medical reasons. The suit said an employee asked for a respirator that could fit over a beard and the company declined. Not legal advice.
What employers should do
- Review grooming policies for blanket shaving requirements and assess religious or medical accommodation requests
- Evaluate alternatives for employees who must wear respirators or other protective equipment
Policy details
- Jurisdiction
- Federal (EEOC, D. Colo.)
- Status
- Enforcement action
- Effective date
- —
- Employers covered
- Global Medical Response, American Medical Response and subsidiaries
- Official source
- View official source ↗
Original report: Bloomberg Law News ↗Edited with AI assistance. Facts are based on official sources and original reports. For information only; not legal, immigration or insurance advice.