Insurance Giant Must Pay Blind Applicant 50,000 Shekels for Discrimination

Clal Insurance has been ordered to pay 50,000 shekels in compensation to a blind job applicant who was denied employment due to his disability. The Labor Court ruled that the insurance company discriminated against the candidate, who had relevant experience for the telephone representative position at Clal's "Har Habituach" call center.

The applicant, who uses a screen reader program to operate a computer, was told by Clal that the software could not be installed due to information security concerns. Despite passing an initial interview, his application was later rejected with the claim that he was not professionally suitable for the role. The court found that Clal did not seriously investigate ways to make the job accessible for the applicant.

The court's ruling highlighted that the company failed to consult its accessibility coordinator, explore alternatives to the screen reader software, and give significant weight to the applicant's prior professional experience. The court also noted significant flaws in how the recruitment process was managed and documented.

While the applicant has since found other employment and did not suffer significant financial loss, the court awarded him the compensation and an additional 5,000 shekels for legal expenses, stating that the circumstances indicated discrimination based on his disability. The lawsuit was filed by the Equal Rights Commission for People with Disabilities.