Let Them Eat Health Insurance

Question

My corporate employer offered health insurance to the director and assistant director of the company, but not to the two lowest-paid employees. All of the workers here were orally promised health insurance, but they never got around to providing it, and now claim they never promised it in the first place. My co-workers and I do not fit the usual groups that are discriminated against as far as sex, age, religion or race. It's more like status discrimination. Can you help?

Answer 1

It can be legal for an employer to provide coverage for some classes of workers, but not others. This sounds mean-spirited. After all, it usually means that coverage is denied those who need it the most. The rationale is that upper-level employees may need additional enticements to join the company.

It is also unfortunate that the insurance promise was never put in writing. You are now in the difficult position of having to prove the promise was made. It may be a tough case of your word against your employer's. You are better off, of course, if the same promise was made to a number of employees.

As a final resort, it still may be worth your while to check with the local insurance commissioner to make sure that your employer's policy complies with all legal requirements for your line of work.