Chris Schultz was selected from among 5,000 employees of Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn as its outstanding worker of 1999, the first worker from building operations to get the award. A year later, the hospital fired Schultz after he took family medical leave to take care of his aging parents. Guess who gets the last laugh in this case? Chris Schultz.
A federal jury a few days ago awarded Schultz, 45, who had worked at the hospital for 26 years, $11.65 million in damages. That breaks down to $10.75 million in damages against Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp., which owns the hospital, and $450,000 in damages against each of two supervisors.
In court, Schultz told how he had taken family medical leave in 1999, a few days here, a few days there, to take care of his mother, who had heart problems and diabetes, and his father, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
His supervisors set up new monthly work standards at about the same time, using various targets that differed from worker to worker.
“They held me responsible for all this work when I wasn’t there,” said Schultz, of Crestwood.
“I tried my best to get the work done. It just took a toll on me. But my parents came first.”
A supervisor, who according to court testimony had frequently bragged, “I can eliminate you with a wave of my pen,” fired Schultz for poor performance.
Nope, said the federal jury, you can’t do that. Such medical leaves are protected by federal law.
So, what should Schultz do with his first million?
First, he could join Oprah in helping pick up the tab for the completion of Millennium Park. Oprah is one of 75 flush folks who agreed to contribute at least $1 million for art, gardens and other stuff for the space at Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street.
Or he could drop $1 million or so on the corporate art collection that once adorned the Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis offices of Arthur Andersen. Since Andersen tanked after that messy Enron debacle and a federal conviction, it has no use for the art, but it does have use for some quick money and the sale of more than 2,000 pieces is expected to bring in about a quick million.
Or he could try to get a piece of the Block 37 development project. No hurry on that one, of course.
Mills Corp., the master developer for the perennially empty parcel at State and Randolph Streets, has posted a $1 million “good faith” deposit in the project, city officials announced Thursday. The British department store Harrods is negotiating to build on the site, but Mayor Richard Daley said the city wants what it wants and is willing to wait.
Presumably, given the history of Block 37 hopefuls that have come and gone, Schultz can wait out Christ Hospital’s appeals and still get in on the glorified skating rink if the judgment holds up.
