AT&T Accused of Making Women Who Worked Desk Jobs for 25 Years Climb Utility Poles to Get Severance

AT&T allegedly tied termination pay to pole-climbing tests for seven displaced Peoria employees, who say they weren’t offered retests (Credit: Joshua Brown/Pexels)

Seven long-serving female employees accuse AT&T of conditioning their eligibility for termination pay on physically demanding tests, including climbing utility poles while carrying heavy equipment. The claims stem from the closure of the company's Peoria, Illinois, office and appear in a lawsuit alleging age and sex discrimination.

Some of the workers had spent decades in office-based roles. They claim AT&T offered them field positions that bore little resemblance to their existing jobs.