Benefits November 1, 2006
EEOC Settles with Cigna on Pregnancy Discrimination Claim
November 1, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reached a
settlement with Cigna on a claim that the company's customer
service call center in Phoenix discriminated against a
pregnant job applicant.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
The Phoenix Business Journal reports Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Cigna Corp., will pay $50,000 to Carmen Santa Cruz and has agreed to review its policies and provide training to employees at the service center regarding pregnancy discrimination. A spokesman for Cigna denied any wrongdoing.
The EEOC had charged that the call center had refused to hire Cruz after learning she was pregnant, according to the Business Journal.
Chester Bailey, district director of the EEOC, said the agency has seen a 33% increase in pregnancy discrimination charges in the last 10 years, according to the news report.