GLSP Changes Lives!
 Mr. Sanchez has been a legal permanent resident since 2006. He speaks and reads limited English. He worked for a large company for a number of years. He suffered an accident at work through no fault of his own. He was working on a machine as he was authorized to do, when another coworker interfered with the machine, which caused Mr. Sanchez to suffer an injury to his hand. Following company policy, Mr. Sanchez reported the accident to his superior and, then, went to the nurse’s office for an assessment. One week later he was fired from his job. He filed a claim for unemployment benefits with the Department of Labor (DOL). DOL denied the claim after the employer alleged that Mr. Sanchez violated a safety rule. Mr. Sanchez appealed that decision, and a GLSP lawyer represented
Mr. Sanchez at the hearing. The employer presented evidence of a document in Spanish that had been signed by Mr. Sanchez and contained the company’s safety policy, which the employer alleged Mr. Sanchez violated. The employer submitted an English version of the same policy for translation purposes. The English version had not been signed by Mr. Sanchez. A GLSP lawyer pointed out that the English translation was not accurate. The English version of the policy suggested a zero-tolerance rule, while the policy that Mr. Sanchez signed in Spanish suggested that, with proper authorization, an employee could perform the act
Mr. Sanchez performed when he was injured. The employer agreed that Mr. Sanchez had such authorization. The hearing officer issued a decision in favor of Mr.Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez was awarded his unemployment benefits.
(The client story is used with permission. The photograph and name do not necessarily represent the actual client.)
Read more about the Georgia Legal Services Program in the 2010 Annual Report by clicking here.
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