O’Reilly Auto Parts to pay $5.6M for employee discrimination
Published 9:47 am Thursday, March 5, 2026
Missouri-based O’Reilly Auto Enterprises will pay $5.6 million for widespread denial of pregnancy and nursing accommodations to Washington workers under a consent decree between the company and the state.
The company operates and owns about 170 O’Reilly Auto Parts retail stores in the state, including the South County cities of Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Renton, SeaTac, Covington and Enumclaw. O’Reilly has stores in 29 counties.
Women across Washington who alleged discrimination and retaliation related to their pregnancies while working for O’Reilly Auto Parts stores, and the distribution center in Puyallup, will receive compensation under a $5.6 million consent decree, according to a March 4 news release from the state Attorney General’s Office.
After investigating multiple complaints of pregnancy-related discrimination at O’Reilly, the state Attorney General’s Office filed suit against O’Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC, in August 2023. The suit alleged the company violated state law by systematically failing or refusing to provide pregnant and postpartum workers with reasonable workplace accommodations. The complaint also alleged O’Reilly managers retaliated against workers who requested accommodations, including by threatening them with forced leave, termination, or making them return from parental leave early, according to the news release.
“In Washington, employers must provide accommodations to pregnant and postpartum employees to protect their health and their babies,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “I’m proud of our team for fighting so hard to ensure compensation to the women whose rights were violated, and to protect the rights of future O’Reilly employees across Washington state.”
After years of litigation, trial was set to begin on March 16. During litigation O’Reilly admitted that it had not trained its Washington management and human resources staff about the requirements of Washington’s Healthy Starts Act, which mandates that employers provide reasonable pregnancy-related accommodations. O’Reilly has now agreed to implement training and adopt new policies and practices that will ensure that the rights of its workers will be honored.
Company denies discrimination
O’Reilly Auto Parts maintains it has not discriminated or retaliated against or failed to accommodate any pregnant team members in the state of Washington, and also maintains its policies and practices did not violate the Healthy Starts Act, or the Consumer Protection Act, according to a March 4 statement from a O’Reilly Auto Parts spokesperson.
“O’Reilly Auto Parts has agreed to a consent decree, without an admission of guilt or liability, so its efforts and resources can be more appropriately channeled into its longstanding team member safety and wellness training,” according to the statement.
O’Reilly Auto Parts’ policies prohibit discrimination based upon pregnancy and childbirth, provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related restrictions and breastfeeding, and prohibit retaliation if team members exercise their rights under the policy, according to the statement. Leaders who do not respect this policy face progressive discipline, up to and including termination from the company.
Stories from workers
Women involved in the case said they came forward to make sure no future workers suffer the same kind of treatment they experienced, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Ivannah Trinidad worked at O’Reilly’s Puyallup Distribution Center while pregnant in 2022 and 2023. She said that when she experienced bad cramps and provided a doctor’s note saying she should not lift anything heavier than 15 pounds, O’Reilly management continued to assign her work that exceeded her restrictions.
When she reported being in pain and requested breaks to sit and rest, her supervisor told her to push through, sometimes not even allowing her to take her standard breaks, according to the news release. She says the lack of accommodation caused her baby to drop and she was forced to go on leave early. After her baby arrived and her leave was expired, Trinidad asked to take an additional week or two of leave to care for her sick infant, but O’Reilly refused her request and she was forced to resign.
“This case was not only for me, but it was for also standing up for every pregnant woman who ever felt forced to choose between her job and her health,” she said. “I truly hope and pray that this outcome leads to change. Not just on paper, but in practice. I hope it will give other women the courage to speak up, to know their rights, and to understand that they are not alone.”
In its statement, O’Reilly Auto Parts said multiple employees in Washington state have expressed their appreciation to the company for its respect for their pregnancies and the law, and were prepared to testify.
“My DM [district manager] and team members were very supportive during my pregnancy,” said Chrissy Dain. “My team members were always ready to help if I needed it. My district manager was always telling me not to overdo it and worked with me regarding my appointments.”
In addition to paying $5.6 million—which will provide compensation to the more than 50 harmed workers—the consent decree also requires O’Reilly to make significant operational changes with how it handles pregnant and nursing employees, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
