Amazon Accused of Systematically Discriminating Against Pregnant Warehouse Workers
A new proposed nationwide class action lawsuit accuses Amazon of systematically discriminating against pregnant warehouse workers.
The suit, filed in the Eastern District of New York on September 8, alleges that Amazon denied or delayed basic pregnancy-related accommodations and penalized some workers for taking pregnancy-related breaks or absences.
One of the plaintiffs, Jennifer Hatch, worked at Amazon's Lancaster facility processing customer returns. According to the complaint, she requested a lifting restriction, sitting breaks, and an eight-hour shift due to her high-risk pregnancy but was denied these accommodations and eventually fired.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said that the company supports tens of thousands of workers with pregnancy accommodations each year and that its policies comply with federal law. However, A Better Balance attorney Katherine Greenberg disputed this claim, stating that Amazon's 99.9% approval rate for pregnancy-related accommodations requests does not reflect the experiences of her clients.
The New York State Division of Human Rights is also pursuing a complaint against Amazon alleging discrimination against pregnant workers and employees with disabilities. That case remains pending.