NEW YORK – Nationwide C&S Wholesale Grocers, with facilities in the Town of Newburgh and Chester, has reached a settlement with the state attorney general’s office following an investigation into the company’s written policy of firing employees who were injured in a “preventable accident” within their initial 90 day probationary period of work.
Under the company’s policy, a probationary employee who was injured would be terminated. Workers’ Compensation Law prohibits employers from firing or retaliating against employees who seek Workers’ Compensation benefits. The C&S policy violated the law because it dissuaded workers from reporting and filing claims.
The settlement agreement requires the company to formally change its policy, and to train all employees and supervisors regarding workers’ right to file for workers’ comp benefits without retaliation. It also requires monitoring of compliance with the law for two years including designating an internal compliance monitor. As part of the settlement, C&S will pay $46,000 to the attorney general in resolution of the investigation, consisting of $36,000 in damages for former employees and $10,000 in penalties.
