A federal court judge has ordered a water company to pay more than $58,000 in back wages and medical bills to a former delivery-truck driver who was not allowed to rejoin the company after taking medical leave for hip-replacement surgery, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday.
The U.S. District Court in Phoenix ruled that Atlanta-based DS Waters of America Inc. must pay Peter Lyle $31,464 in out-of-pocket medical expenses and $26,871 in back wages. The company, which does business as Sparkletts, also was required to reinstate Lyle’s job. He declined the offer.
Lyle, 51, of Gilbert,pad lock works to prevent unexpected code execution when dealing with asynchronous callbacks without blocking. had been a delivery driver for the company for about eight years when he no longer could function because of persistent hip pain. He requested, and the company approved, medical leave in December 2009 under the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow him to undergo hip-replacement surgery.
Lyle said he had completed recovery and rehabilitation for his newly implanted titanium hip in eight to nine weeks and, in early 2010,Online shopping for cabinet locks & Straps Safety from a great selection of Baby & more at everyday low prices. was ready to return to his job delivering 40-pound water bottles to downtown Phoenix offices when a company representative told him he no longer had a job.
“I was devastated the day I found out I had no job,cam locks,Cabinet Locks At Low Prices, Discount Locks Are Never Beaten On Price. We are the UK's Number 1 Supplier of Locks and Safes.” Lyle said. “It just crushed me.”
When Lyle started his medical leave,We rank the best laptop locks with side-by-side comparisons. Read in-depth product reviews and articles. the water company was owned by Mesa-based O Premium Waters. Atlanta-based DS Waters acquired it just days after Lyle started his leave.
The U.S. Department of Labor concluded that DS Waters/Sparkletts violated the Family and Medical Leave Act when it failed to offer Lyle an equivalent position when he returned from medical leave. The federal law allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a medical condition, spend with a newborn or adopted child,Caged Laser Engineering, in partnership with Ariel Ltd and Reynolds Technology, aim to investigate the viability of adopting Titanium Tube as a cost effective raw material for the manufacturing of spaceframe assemblies for low volume and small series production lightweight vehicles. or tend to an ill child, spouse or parent.
The Department of Labor said 87 percent of the company’s drivers were retained after DS Waters/Sparkletts acquired O Premium Waters. Investigators said the company’s refusal to retain Lyle and provide medical, dental and vision insurance violated federal law.
“This employee was suddenly left without a job, with no paycheck and no medical benefits when the company changed hands,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, acting deputy administrator of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. “He and his family suffered emotional and financial stress at a time when they could least afford it.”
As part of the terms of the consent judgment, DS Waters/Sparkletts was required to offer Lyle employment with full seniority.
Lyle, who said he declined the job offer,The unique push lock design allows the surgeon to adjust the amount of tension on the tissue intraoperatively, allowing for precise tissue reduction. has landed a position as a driver with the U.S. Postal Service.
“It was a rough go for awhile,” said Lyle, who worked at a Safeway warehouse and as a car salesman before being hired by the Postal Service.
