An Israeli man has sued a company for 247,000 shekels ($66,700) after the company agreed to hire the man when he completed his reserve duty and then hired another worker for the position instead. The Equal Opportunity Commission at the Ministry of Economy and Industry filed a lawsuit on the man’s behalf at the Nof HaGalil Labor Court. In the statement of claim, Regional Commissioner Firas Farag claimed that the company went back on its agreement with the plaintiff and hired another employee without any justifiable reason, solely because the plaintiff was expected to serve continuously in the reserves.
Economy Minister Nir Barkat said of the case, “The state of Israel is committed to those who put the state at the top of their priorities, put their families and their livelihoods to the side and serve in the war, and therefore we have the duty to mobilize on their behalf and to give them the needed support on a personal and business level. Employment discrimination is always serious. Discrimination because of reserve duty these days, beyond being illegal, is immoral and valueless. It also hurts the Israeli industry and economy.”
Orit Sharfi, acting commissioner of the Equal Opportunity Commission, also noted the importance of addressing discrimination against reserve soldiers.
“The phenomenon of discrimination against those who serve in the reserves increases during times of security crisis and occupies a significant place in the labor market,” she said. “Workers who serve in the reserves suffer from discrimination in all stages of work, which harms their livelihoods, their dignity, and their self-worth. This is a very important case dealing with discrimination at its core. Discrimination against reserve soldiers in hiring is very serious. Our role is to stand guard and protect those who are endangering their lives for the security of the country from being harmed regarding equal work opportunities.”
This article was translated from Hebrew by Leah Schwartz.
