Amazon Accused of Firing Pregnant Workers for Taking Breaks

A nationwide class-action lawsuit has been filed against Amazon on September 8, alleging that the company failed to provide basic workplace accommodations for potentially thousands of pregnant employees. The lawsuit claims that Amazon terminated or threatened to terminate these workers when they took breaks or time off for pregnancy-related reasons.

Four plaintiffs are named in the complaint, including Willamina Barclay, a 38-year-old single mother who was wheeled out of an Amazon warehouse in Rochester, New York, after experiencing severe abdominal pain. Barclay had repeatedly requested accommodations due to her high-risk pregnancy but was only partially granted.

A Better Balance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for workers' rights, shared the complaint exclusively with USA TODAY at the time of its filing. The lawsuit calls for Amazon to reform its policies and demands compensation for past and ongoing violations.