St. Paul business sued for medical discrimination following return to work policy

*Disclaimer: Lawsuit complaints are based off one side’s interpretation of events. They should not be considered 100% factual by the public as they are only accusations. Many lawsuits end without a trial or an admittance of guilt by any parties listed in the complaint. Any accusations in the below story come from court documents unless expressly noted.*

ST. PAUL - A Wisconsin woman accused a former St. Paul employer of firing her after she asked for medical accommodations, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Ramsey County District Court.

The lawsuit, filed by Tammy Hall-Benson against The Worker’s Compensation Reinsurance Association (WCRA), accuses the employer of violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act after Hall-Benson began to fall ill while working in the office due to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, a condition where mast cells release excessive chemicals, Dysautonomia, a disease of the autonomic nervous system, and chemical sensitivities.

These ailments cause severe allergic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis.

In her complaint, Hall-Benson outlined a pattern of discrimination and retaliation by her managers, including revoking her remote work status and refusing to allow an effective air filter at its St. Paul office.

Hall-Benson first notified her manager, Natalie Haefner, of cognitive difficulties she was having in 2019 and Hall-Benson took medical leave in March 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began and her employer moved to 100% remote work.

Following a new treatment plan that improved her condition, Hall-Benson returned to work in Nov. 2020 but in a 100% remote capacity until June 2022, when WRCA forced its employees into a hybrid schedule.

Hall-Benson wrote in her complaint that she suffered severe allergic reactions while in the office, which may have been triggered by chemical smells from an office remodel and fragrances worn by coworkers in a new open cubicle environment.

WCRA initially granted a 100% remote accommodation recommended by Hall-Benson’s physician in July 2022 but revoked it in September 2022, she wrote in her complaint.

Her employer refused to allow Hall-Benson to bring in a larger and more effective air purifier or allow her to collect an air sample so that a medical specialist could help her become desensitized to the environmental triggers she was experiencing, according to Hall-Benson.

The St. Paul business also allegedly revoked her ability to flex schedule for her medical appointments, forcing her to use paid time off, which was not equally applied to Hall-Benson’s other coworkers.

After denying another request to work remotely, WRCA is accused of threatening to fire Hall-Benson if she did not return to the office.

“Because her disabilities prevented her from safely returning to the office environment that WCRA refused to make safe for her, WCRA termined Ms. Hall-Benson’s employment on January 27, 2023,” she wrote in her complaint.

No lawyer is listed for WRCA and a lawyer listed for Hall-Benson did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

WRCA has not filed a response to Hall-Benson’s complaint as of Oct. 21.

No future court date has been set.