NJ Woman Sues Former Employer Over Rush Hour Anxiety
By Steve Tawa
BERLIN, N.J. (CBS) -- A Berlin, New Jersey woman is suing Fulton Financial Corporation for firing her after she sought to change her hours at the bank to avoid rush hour traffic.
In her lawsuit filed in federal court in Camden, Andrea DeGerolamo claims Fulton violated New Jersey's anti-discrimination law.
"She's seeking compensation for what we would call a wrongful termination," says attorney Ben Friedman.
Friedman claims the bank retaliated against DeGerolamo after she was diagnosed and received treatment for anxiety and depression aggravated by heavy traffic during rush hour.
While he acknowledges the complaint states she requested a work shift "by which she could come in after morning rush hour and leave prior to evening rush hour," Friedman says she would have been amenable to reassignment to another branch, as well as doing part of her marketing job from home.
"She in no way had any desire to escape the workday," he says, "or lessen her workload."
Friedman alleges rather than engage in "interactive dialogue" on options, Fulton fired her.
The company says it "won't comment on pending legal matters."
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