A federal judge has ruled against Koch Trucking a Minneapolis-based trucking company, According to the court ruling, the trucking company has been mandating strength tests that discriminate against female drivers, Thousands of dollars are expected to be paid out after the ruling, a federal agency announced this week.
- In October 2020, driver Alana Nelson was awarded $165,000 after the company refused to take her back because she failed a strength test following a workplace injury.
A federal judge has ruled as a matter of law that Stan Koch & Sons Trucking violated federal law by using a strength test developed by Cost Reduction Technologies because it discriminates against women truck drivers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today. Koch, headquartered in Minneapolis, is a family-owned trucking company with over 1,000 trucks which operates both nationally and on regional and local routes.
Are Physical Exams discriminatory?
If they are primarily intended to weed out female drivers. Yes
What are some types of Physical Exams conducted for pre-employment?
Strength testing during Physical Exams measures the maximal amount of force a muscle group can exert at one time. In comparison, Muscle endurance testing measures the length of time a muscle group can contract and release before it fatigues. The Physical Exam conducted during these exercises used include the push-up test and core strength and stability test. Most of the tests are completed in order to see if a worker is fit for the job, the fittest is also conducted on employees that are planning to return to work after an accident.
