Lenovo employee fired for peeing in US hotel lobby, seeks $1.5 million from company for THIS reason

By Shweta Kumari | First Published Aug 26, 2024, 6:27 PM IST

A Lenovo employee was terminated for urinating in a hotel lobby and is now seeking $1.5 million in compensation from the Chinese tech giant.

Answering nature's call in the wrong place can have serious repercussions. In a case that's definitely not your typical work drama, Richard Becker, a 66-year-old Lenovo salesman, was fired for urinating in a hotel’s lobby in New York.

Richard was fired from his job after he says a bladder condition forced him to relieve himself in a lobby of his Times Square hotel.

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However, claiming that the company's decision to terminate his employment was unjust and discriminatory, Richard Becker has now filed a lawsuit against the American subsidiary of Lenovo, seeking at least $1.5 million in damages, according to the court documents seen by news agency AFP.

What exactly happened?

According to the lawsuit, Richard Becker was heading back to his Times Square hotel, after a work dinner in February 2024, when nature called in a way that couldn’t be ignored, a report by AFP says. With a chronic bladder condition he’s been managing since 2016, Becker didn’t have the luxury of time. Unfortunately, the hotel’s main lobby restroom was out of reach, and in his urgency, he had to relieve himself in a quiet corner of a different floor’s vestibule.

"A coworker noticed Becker urinating, and -- out of apparent spite and malice -- promptly reported him to Human Resources, even though Becker's conduct caused no harm to anyone whatsoever," the lawsuit said.

Lenovo’s response was swift and unforgiving. Despite knowing about Becker’s medical condition, the company launched an investigation that Becker later described as a “sham,” claiming he wasn’t even interviewed before being shown the door.

Becker wasn’t ready to let the matter rest. Feeling wronged and believing his dismissal was unjust, he took legal action. He’s now suing Lenovo’s American subsidiary for at least $1.5 million, alleging that the company discriminated against him because of his disability. According to Becker, his condition was no secret—his colleagues and managers were aware, and he was under the care of a urologist. Yet, Lenovo didn’t consider his health needs when deciding to fire him.

The lawsuit argues that Lenovo violated New York State and City human rights laws, which protect individuals with disabilities. Becker’s legal team is pushing for compensation, not just for the financial loss he’s suffered since losing his job, but also for the emotional distress the incident has caused. Since being removed from his job at Lenovo, Becker has been unemployed, adding to the weight of the situation.

"No sympathy, let alone compliance with the law, would be forthcoming from Lenovo. Instead, within days, Becker was terminated by his employer, following a sham HR 'investigation' in which he was not even interviewed," the lawsuit said.

Meanwhile, Lenovo has not yet issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.

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