Klal Insurance rejected a blind candidate – and will compensate him with tens of thousands of shekels

The Labor Court accepted a lawsuit filed by the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities against Klal Insurance, and awarded compensation of 50,000 shekels to a blind candidate who was rejected for a telephone representative position. The court ruled that the company did not seriously examine accessibility options, did not consult the accessibility coordinator, and that discrimination due to disability occurred.

The Labor Court accepted a lawsuit filed by the Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Ministry of Justice on behalf of a blind individual, and awarded him 50,000 shekels in compensation against Klal Insurance. The plaintiff, who had significant prior experience as a telephone representative, applied for a position at the company's "Har HaBituach" call center. After a telephone interview, he clarified that he required screen reader software. He was told that due to information security limitations, the software could not be installed, and subsequently his candidacy was rejected on the grounds that he was not professionally suitable. During the proceedings, it emerged that Klal had not conducted a serious examination of accessibility options, had not consulted the accessibility coordinator, and had not considered alternatives. The court determined that no real weight was given to the plaintiff's professional experience, and that significant flaws were found in the management and documentation of the recruitment process. It was ruled that discrimination due to disability had occurred. The compensation was awarded even though the plaintiff found other work shortly after the rejection and did not suffer significant loss of livelihood. Additionally, 5,000 shekels in legal costs were awarded.