Supermarket clerk denied break gets $200,000

[snopes]

A supermarket clerk who urinated on herself at the checkout counter after her supervisor refused to let her take a bathroom break is entitled to a $200,000 damage award, a state appeals court has ruled.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BA6U1A9D8H.DTL

[AnglRdr]

But the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said the jury had been entitled to find that Albertson's was at fault for not informing the supervisor about A.M.'s condition and need for bathroom breaks.

Good! It is amazing what can change at a job when a new manager comes in, and when upper management doesn't train the new manager very well, chaos can ensue.

[Banrion]

Albertson's appealed the verdict, arguing that it had accommodated A.M. for more than a year and that she should have told the supervisor about her medical condition or simply gone to the bathroom without permission.

Of course they would say that. I am sure that her leaving her checkstand unattended would be grounds for immediate termination. Then they wouldn't have lost such an expensive lawsuit.

[cubbie]

Maybe I should show this to upper management where I work. I swear they're all morons where I work.

[zman977]

Originally Posted by Banrion

Of course they would say that. I am sure that her leaving her checkstand unattended would be grounds for immediate termination. Then they wouldn't have lost such an expensive lawsuit.

That was my first thought to when reading that part.

[Crius of CoH]

Originally Posted by Banrion

Of course they would say that. I am sure that her leaving her checkstand unattended would be grounds for immediate termination. Then they wouldn't have lost such an expensive lawsuit.

And really, when we hear of all the lawsuits over what seem to be fairly minor issues that result in multi-million-dollar awards, this wasn't terribly expensive at all. Hopefully Albertson's has learned a positive lesson here, and understands that it could have been far, far worse.

[Banrion]

Originally Posted by Crius of CoH

And really, when we hear of all the lawsuits over what seem to be fairly minor issues that result in multi-million-dollar awards, this wasn't terribly expensive at all. Hopefully Albertson's has learned a positive lesson here, and understands that it could have been far, far worse.

I hope so too. The award is reasonable for her damages. Let's just hope that this type of award becomes more common.