K-Mart Employee Claims She Was Demoted After Work Injuries

A woman has filed suit, claiming that she was demoted as a manager at a K-Mart store after she suffered personal injuries while working.

According to the suit filed on April 17 against Sears Holding Management Corp. by Debra M. Hall, she had been an employee at the store for 18 years, eventually moving up to the position of assistant manager.

Hall says that she and another employee were moving a swing set on May 8, 2007. She says that she was walking backward while carrying the swing and stepped onto a pallet jack being pulled by a Pepsi employee who was making a delivery, causing her to fall and injure her neck, back, and spine.

Hall says she filed a claim for workers’ compensation. She said she was permitted by a physician to return to work, but under the restriction of working no longer than four hours and taking a two hour break before beginning another four hour shift.

The suit claims Hall’s employers refused to comply with the restriction.

According to the suit, Hall’s manager, Joshua Lasure, demoted her on November 1, 2008 to a part-time hourly sales position, which deprived her of the benefits and salary she previously enjoyed.

However, said the complaint, Hall was left on a list of management-level employees that are awakened by a security company when an alarm goes off at the store.

Hall seeks compensatory and punitive damages.