A man is suing his former employer for $1.5 million after being fired for urinating in the Times Square hotel lobby.
A man has filed a $1.5M lawsuit against his former employer after he was dismissed for urinating in a hotel lobby.
The incident has drawn significant attention and sparked a debate over employee rights and medical conditions.
Man files $1.5M lawsuit against company after being fired for peeing in hotel lobby
Richard Becker, a former computer executive, has filed a lawsuit against Lenovo for $1.5 million after he was terminated for urination in a hotel lobby.
This incident happened during a work meeting at the Westin New York hotel, where Becker, 66, faced a medical emergency due to a chronic bladder condition.
Becker, who had been with Lenovo since 2022, suffers from incontinence, requiring him to use the restroom frequently.
While attending a meeting, he felt overwhelmed by his need to urinate and could not make it back to his hotel room, which was 12 blocks away.
Instead, he claims he had no choice but to discreetly relieve himself in the hotel’s vestibule area.
Richard Becker urinated in the hotel lobby over chronic bladder condition
According to the lawsuit, Becker was seen by a colleague who reported the incident to human resources.
He asserts that his employer was aware of his medical condition, which he had been managing since 2016 with the help of a urologist.
Becker argues that he was unfairly dismissed, especially as the act of urination did not affect his job performance or the company’s business.
Just four days after the incident, Becker was fired without notice or severance pay.
He alleges that Lenovo discriminated against him due to his disability.
In court documents, he stated: “With knowledge of Becker’s bladder condition, Lenovo summarily terminated him because he suffered from that condition.”
Becker claims he contributed significantly to the company, helping to increase its business growth by 200% and receiving awards for his performance.
He also mentioned that co-workers were aware of his condition and even made jokes about his frequent restroom visits.
Becker described the incident as a panic-driven emergency.
He emphasized that he only made it to the vestibule, a secluded area.
However, some hotel staff disputed his account, stating that there were restrooms available in the lobby.
Social media reactions
The lawsuit has gone viral on social media, sparking a heated debate about the fairness of the company’s decision.
Many people are discussing whether Becker’s medical condition should have been taken into account.
Some argue that his bladder issues were beyond his control and that firing him was excessive.
Don’t think he wins that case be different if they fired him for using the restroom frequently because of his condition.
Urinating in a public place doesn’t fall under any disability so good luck with that one, one user said.
Democrat policy is so insane, he will probably win, the second user commented.
Frivolous lawsuit that should have been thrown out for wasting taxpayers money, the third user said.
He should have been wearing a diaper, another wrote.
That’s why they make adult diapers! No excuse for his behaviour.
His frequent need to urinate is a disability, his poor choices in dealing with it, are not.
He was fired for his poor choice in dealing with it, someone said.