Amazon hit with lawsuit over disability leave policy
What's the story
Amazon, the largest private-sector employer in the US after Walmart, has been slapped with a proposed class action lawsuit. The complaint alleges that the company enforces a "punitive" policy on workplace absences for its warehouse employees with disabilities. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Manhattan and claims that Amazon docks unpaid time off when it asks New York employees seeking disability accommodations to stay home.
Accusations
Amazon threatens to fire employees for excessive absences: Lawsuit
The lawsuit also alleges that Amazon threatens to fire employees for excessive absences. "Amazon's practices chill employees' exercise of their legal rights, because employees justifiably fear they too will be disciplined and fired if they request reasonable accommodation," the complaint said. The lead plaintiff, Cayla Lyster, an employee at an Amazon warehouse near Syracuse, New York, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and claims she was put on unpaid leave multiple times while her requests for accommodations were being reviewed.
Personal account
Emails sent to workers intimidate, threaten them, Lyster alleges
Lyster alleges that Amazon's "punitive absence control system" penalizes employees who take too much unpaid leave, even when legally permitted. She says these employees are sent emails demanding justification for their absences within 48 hours or face termination. "These emails intimidate and threaten employees who have exercised their rights to request reasonable accommodation," Lyster said in her complaint against the retail giant.
Legal action
Lawsuit seeks damages for all hourly warehouse workers
The lawsuit seeks damages for all hourly warehouse workers in New York state over the last three years who sought or intended to seek accommodations for their disabilities. "Workers shouldn't ever need to choose between their safety and their paycheck," said Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a workplace legal advocacy group that helped file the lawsuit.
Company stance
Amazon denied claims in New Jersey lawsuit
Amazon has not yet commented on the latest lawsuit. The complaint comes just three weeks after New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sued Amazon for allegedly denying reasonable accommodation requests and placing pregnant workers and those with disabilities on unpaid leave. However, Amazon denied Platkin's claims, asserting that it approves over 99% of requests for pregnancy-related accommodations.