Lenovo employee fired for urinating in hotel lobby; company ordered to pay Rs 12.6 crore for…
A Lenovo computer salesman got into trouble after being fired after he said his bladder condition forced him to relieve himself in the lobby of the hotel where he worked in Times Square.
Richard Becker, 66, is seeking at least $1.5 million in damages from the Chinese computer giant’s US subsidiary after being fired for urinating misconduct, according to a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court on Friday and reviewed by AFP.
He accused the company of “discriminating on the basis of disability in violation of New York State and New York City human rights laws.”
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According to the lawsuit, Becker was returning to his hotel near Times Square in New York after a company dinner in February when he found himself “overwhelmed” and forced to use the restroom in the lobby, which was located on a separate floor from the main lobby.
“A co-worker noticed Becker urinating and, out of malice, promptly reported him to human resources, even though Becker’s behavior did not harm anyone,” the lawsuit said.
Becker said he had been dealing with a chronic bladder condition since 2016 and was being treated by a urologist. Court records say Lenovo co-workers and managers were aware of his condition.
“Lenovo showed no sympathy, let alone compliance with the law. Instead, within days, Becker was fired from the company after a sham human resources ‘investigation’ in which he was not even interviewed,” the lawsuit said.
The Long Island man has been unemployed since then.
Lenovo did not immediately respond to a request for comment after business hours.
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