Amazon Sued Over Alleged Pregnancy Discrimination at Warehouses
A class action lawsuit has been filed against Amazon alleging that the company systematically denied pregnant employees basic workplace accommodations and fired them when they took medically necessary breaks.
The complaint, brought by advocacy group A Better Balance and law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel on behalf of four female former workers at Amazon facilities in Rochester and Lancaster, New York, accuses Amazon of violating the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and New York Labour Law.
The lawsuit alleges that Amazon refused to grant pregnant workers accommodations as basic as bathroom breaks, water breaks, and the use of a chair without first demanding a doctor's note, which is unlawful according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
When the four plaintiffs took pregnancy-related breaks or missed shifts while awaiting decisions on their requests, Amazon's automated attendance systems deducted hours from their unpaid time off banks, eventually triggering termination warnings and dismissal.