WASHINGTON — Missouri-based O’Reilly Auto Parts will pay $5.6 million to over 50 women across Washington who alleged discrimination and retaliation related to their pregnancies while they were employed at the Puyallup distribution center.
According to a lawsuit filed by the Washington Attorney General’s Office in August 2023, the company violated state law by “systematically failing or refusing to provide pregnant and postpartum workers with reasonable workplace accommodations.”
The complaint also alleged O’Reilly managers “retaliated against workers who requested accommodations, including by threatening them with forced leave, termination, or making them return from parental leave early,” according to the Attorney General’s Office.
After years of litigation, the AG’s office said O’Reilly admitted that it had not trained its Washington management and human resources staff about the requirements of Washington’s Healthy Starts Act, which mandates that employers provide reasonable pregnancy-related accommodations.
The Attorney General’s Office said O’Reilly has agreed to implement training and adopt new policies and practices that will “ensure that the rights of its workers will be honored.”
Over 50 women will receive compensation under a $5.6 million consent decree between O’Reilly and the state.
“In Washington, employers must provide accommodations to pregnant and postpartum employees to protect their health and their babies,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “I’m proud of our team for fighting so hard to ensure compensation to the women whose rights were violated, and to protect the rights of future O’Reilly employees across Washington state.”
As a part of the agreement, for the next four years, O’Reilly must provide the WA Attorney General’s Office with biannual compliance reports which will include a “description of any pregnancy discrimination complaints made by a Washington employee and will indicate whether the worker’s employment was terminated while their accommodation request was pending, so the AGO may ensure O’Reilly complies with state law.”
O’Reilly Auto Parts sent KIRO 7 News the following statement about the lawsuit:
“O’Reilly Auto Parts maintains it has not discriminated or retaliated against or failed to accommodate any pregnant team members in the State of Washington, and also maintains its policies and practices did not violate the Healthy Starts Act or the Consumer Protection Act. O’Reilly Auto Parts has agreed to a Consent Decree, without an admission of guilt or liability, so its efforts and resources can be more appropriately channeled into its longstanding team member safety and wellness training.
O’Reilly Auto Parts’ policies prohibit discrimination based upon pregnancy and childbirth, provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related restrictions and breastfeeding, and prohibit retaliation if team members exercise their rights under the policy. Leaders who do not respect this policy face progressive discipline, up to and including termination from the company.
O’Reilly Auto Parts wants its team members to be able to joyfully welcome healthy babies into their families. For more than a decade, it has contracted with its health insurance carrier for a program called Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Babies, which not only encourages team members to seek early and regular prenatal care, but also offers monetary incentives for doing so. Additionally, the company sends gifts to team members who welcome a new baby.
Multiple O’Reilly team members in Washington State have expressed their appreciation to the company for its respect for their pregnancies and the law, and were prepared to testify. One of them, Chrissy Dain, said this:
‘My DM [District Manager] and team members were very supportive during my pregnancy. My team members were always ready to help if I needed it. My District Manager was always telling me not to overdo it and worked with me regarding my appointments.’”