Amazon class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: A group of former Amazon employees have filed a class action lawsuit against the company.
- Why: They claim Amazon discriminated against them by failing to adjust work duties while pregnant and retaliating against them for taking medically necessary breaks.
- Where: The Amazon class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.
A new class action lawsuit accuses Amazon of discriminating against pregnant workers by denying them accommodations related to pregnancy and retaliating against them for taking medically necessary breaks.
The four plaintiffs, all former Amazon warehouse employees, claim the company denied them basic pregnancy-related rights, such as bathroom breaks, extra breaks and sitting instead of standing, despite their requests.
“Amazon denied them basic modifications the law recognizes pregnant workers regularly need, even in uncomplicated pregnancies,” the Amazon class action lawsuit says.
The plaintiffs seek to represent a class of similarly situated workers and demand policy changes from Amazon, along with compensation for past and ongoing violations of the law.
Amazon’s actions unreasonable and unlawful, plaintiffs allege
The former workers argue Amazon demanded medical paperwork for every pregnancy-related accommodation request, which they claim is unreasonable and unlawful under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).
The PWFA provides legal protections for pregnant workers, but Amazon ignores the law and forces pregnant employees to work without modifications, according to the Amazon class action lawsuit.
The group further argues that Amazon punished them for taking medically necessary breaks or absences to get off their feet, visit the doctor or go to the emergency room by deducting the time from their unpaid time-off balances and threatening to terminate them when that unpaid time ran out.
The former workers claim Amazon’s policies violate the PWFA, which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers and prohibits retaliation against them.
They demand a jury trial and request declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory, liquidated and punitive damages for themselves and all class members.
In other recent news, Amazon agreed to pay $309.5 million in a class action settlement earlier this year to end claims it shortchanged consumers on refunds for returned items.
Have you been discriminated against by Amazon while pregnant? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Debra L. Greenberger and Rachael Wyant of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP and Katherine Greenberg of A Better Balance.
The Amazon class action lawsuit is Case No. 1:26-cv-05531, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
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