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The employee is suing for $4.6 million, alleging that being assigned an ill-fitted desk caused severe physical and emotional distress.
The employee was recruited in 2021. (File photo/Shutterstock)
When it comes to workplace comfort, size matters! And for one New York Public Library employee, it’s become the basis of a lawsuit. William Martin, a 6-foot-2, 163-kg library assistant, is suing the library for $4.6 million, claiming that the cramped, ill-fitting desk he was assigned caused him both physical and emotional distress. Martin said that the desk at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on Fifth Avenue was just too small for his frame, making it impossible to work without discomfort. Now, he’s seeking legal action, demanding compensation for the toll it took on his well-being.
In a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, William Martin described the desk he was assigned as “crampy,” citing its swaying countertop and a 12-inch drop that made it physically uncomfortable. He was assigned this desk when he joined in October 2021. In his legal statement, as reported by the New York Post, Martin said, “All I sought was just a service desk with the appropriate accommodation given my physical attributes.”
Martin’s union initially intervened to resolve the issue, temporarily relocating him to other service desks. But in June 2023, problems resurfaced when a new assistant director allegedly insisted he return to the small first-floor desk. Tensions escalated after Martin voiced his concerns and sought legal advice, leading to a full-blown dispute.
Martin alleged that the assistant director “dramatically increased” his assignments to the cramped desk, a move he claimed was “detrimental to his health and safety,” according to the lawsuit. Court documents indicate that Martin believes this was a tactic by the director to “bully” and “intimidate” him, attempting to assert authority by showing him “who is the boss.”
Martin was later accused of sleeping on the job, a charge he denied, calling it “false.” Following his suspension, he requested a transfer and medical leave, citing anxiety and depression. The lawsuit claims that the stress caused by the working conditions has taken a severe toll on his mental health. Martin reportedly “trembles” at the prospect of returning to work. His condition, he says, has made him unable to perform in his current role.
Martin is now requesting that a judge mandate the library to approve a leave of absence and provide compensation for the distress he has endured. In response, a representative from the New York Public Library told The New York Post that the lawsuit is “without merit” and emphasised the library’s commitment to addressing employee concerns and treating everyone with respect.
