A Dollar General employee with Type-1 diabetes was fired for drinking orange juice. The judge gave her $277,565

A hypoglycemic attack occurs when blood sugar drops abruptly below normal, triggering severe weakness, dizziness, or loss of consciousness. In such cases, doctors advise the patient to have something sweet, such as sugary juice, to normalize glucose. In September 2014, Linda K. Atkins did exactly that when she sensed an oncoming attack. However, the young girl, who worked as a cashier at the Dollar General Store in Maryville, Tennessee, was immediately fired. Refusing to bow to the unfair termination, she took the corporation to court. Following a long legal battle, Atkins was awarded her $277,000, WBIR-TV Channel 10 News reported on September 20, 2016.

Fired over an orange juice

Atkins started working for the retail giant in August 2009 as a sales associate. The next year, she was promoted to lead sales associate. Since she had Type 1 diabetes, she had already requested to keep a sweet drink with her at her register. However, Atkins was refused, despite the company's policy allowing it for employees who genuinely needed it. One day, while managing the cash counter alone, she sensed an oncoming hypoglycemic attack. Since Atkins didn't want to leave the cash register unattended, she immediately grabbed a bottle of orange juice and drank it before paying. But as soon as her symptoms relaxed, she paid for the bottle, and the matter ended there. In January 2012, Atkins suffered another attack, and so to avoid it, she grabbed a bottle from the store's cooler and drank it, just like the last time. However, things escalated when the audit came; she was fired from the company for violating the store’s grazing policy by consuming a product before paying for it.

Justice prevails

Following the unfair termination, Atkins filed a lawsuit with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The East Tennessee jury in the US District in Knoxville not only sided with her but also awarded her $277,565 in total, including $27,565 in back pay and $250,000 in compensatory damages. The jury found that Dollar General violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which punishes employers for discriminating against employees with medical conditions (such as diabetes).

The need for more empathy

Atkins might seem like an exceptional case, but when it comes to the countrywide statistics, she is not alone. A survey by the International Diabetes Federation confirmed that 40% of employees with diabetes experience negative treatment or stigma at work. In fact, 32% of the affected workers have considered quitting their jobs due to a lack of support at work. More than 28% reported being denied breaks or time off to attend to their diabetes management, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding in corporate environments. America was among the top three countries to report the highest discrimination (42%), beside Pakistan (68%) and India (55%).

'That's cruelty,' say netizens

On a repost of the story on X, thousands of people commented on the brutality of corporations that refuse to provide support to the insulin-dependent employees. @ngoozichukwu said, “Some people really don't understand what low blood sugar is. Glad the jury sided with her, bless him.” @flamezbee remarked, “So she had a medical emergency, saved her own life, paid after, and they fired her for grazing? That’s not a policy; that’s cruelty with a receipt.”

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