Federal rules say a current diagnosis of alcoholism prohibits an employee from driving commercial trucks. So why was this company hauled into court when it fired an employee who could no longer drive under this rule?
Sakera Jarvela was a truck driver for Crete Carrier Corp. in Georgia. While employed by Crete, he sought treatment for alcohol abuse. His doctor diagnosed him with alcoholism and referred him to an outpatient treatment program. Jarvela took Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time off to complete the program.