Abstract:
On September 9, according to Reuters, e-commerce giant Amazon was sued on Tuesday. The lawsuit, proposed as a nationwide class action, accuses the retail giant of systematically discriminating against thousands of pregnant employees, including firing some for taking too much time off.
Amazon
According to the complaint filed by four former warehouse employees, Amazon frequently violated U.S. federal and New York state labor protection laws by denying pregnant employees basic accommodations, such as providing chairs, allowing them to use the bathroom and drink water, and allowing them to take time off for prenatal checkups.
The lawsuit alleges that Amazon threatened and frequently fired pregnant employees who missed too many days from work and illegally required medical documentation from employees who applied for accommodations. The complaint alleges that these actions violated the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and New York State labor law.
The plaintiff stated in the complaint filed in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, "Amazon is one of the largest employers in the United States. It is not surprising that many of its employees are pregnant, but Amazon violates the law everywhere."
Plaintiff Willamina Barclay said Amazon gave her a termination warning on June 17, 2025, a day after she was wheeled out of a warehouse in Rochester, N.Y., and hospitalized for a pregnancy-related emergency.
Barclays said she suffered severe abdominal pain from lifting heavy objects, but Amazon claimed that the hospitalization caused her to exceed the limit of unpaid leave and deducted her hours because she "only worked half a day that day." She was fired five days later, according to the complaint.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company provides pregnancy-related accommodations to tens of thousands of employees each year and approved more than 99.9% of requests last year. "Ensuring the health and well-being of our employees is one of our most important responsibilities," she said.
The lawsuit seeks Amazon to compensate workers for lost wages and benefits, pay punitive damages, and seek an injunction prohibiting discrimination against pregnant workers.
Amazon has long faced complaints about its treatment of workers, including those seeking to form a union.
Amazon is the second largest private employer in the United States after Walmart, with 1.58 million full-time and part-time employees as of the end of 2025.
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