By Dean Seal


Walgreens Co. has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday for allegedly discriminating against a pregnant worker with disabilities.

The pharmacy-chain subsidiary of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is accused of refusing the request of a pregnant customer sales associate, who has diabetes and hypoglycemia, to take emergency leave and seek medical attention.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges that the worker asked her store manager for the unscheduled leave only to be told that she could not leave until her replacement was found. A replacement was not found, and the manager eventually told the employee that she had asked for too many accommodations, the EEOC claims.

The worker was ultimately forced to quit and miscarried later on the day that she resigned, the suit alleges.

"No one should have to choose between losing a pregnancy and losing a job," said Andrew Kingsley, a senior trial attorney in the EEOC's New Orleans Field Office.

The EEOC said it filed the lawsuit after first trying to reach a settlement with Walgreens.

Walgreens didn't respond to a request for comment.


Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-29-22 1010ET