He gets FedAxed
Shipping giant shuns worker hurt on job
Accommodating a longtime worker with a shoulder injury shouldn’t have been a heavy lift for FedEx, but the company left their man behind like a discarded package, a new lawsuit claims.
Ramon Cayetano’s torn left rotator cuff sidelined him for only three months in 2016, but when the parcel handler reported for duty at FedEx’s Hell’s Kitchen facility with a 20-pound lifting restriction, a supervisor told him there were no light duty positions available, according to the suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court.
A manager asked him if he could still drive, and when Cayatano said “yes,” the boss promised to call him the next day.
Cayetano, 54, is still waiting.
Meanwhile, Cayetano’s approved leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act expired. Even though Cayetano was able to return to work with no restrictions within three months, he was still not allowed back. He was told the position was not available anymore, legal papers show.
“It’s a very physical job,” explained Cayetano, who said he was injured at work. “We do this in and out every day. Over time I started feeling pain in my left arm. Gradually it started increasing.”
Cayetano said he tried to work through the pain, and even took three cortisone shots to avoid taking any time off. But after a while, the pain become unbearable.
“I couldn’t lift my arm,” Cayetano said. “I couldn’t take the pain anymore.”
Cayetano scheduled the procedure he had been avoiding, and got approval to take time off under the medical leave act.
After successful surgery and a round of rehabilitation, Cayetano returned to FedEx three months later, in October 2016.
“I said ‘I’m ready to work,’ ” Cayetano said. “I