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new Jersey Legal action has been initiated against Amazon.com accused the company of illegally denying workplace accommodations to disabled or pregnant warehouse workers and firing some who asked for them.
trialThe filing Wednesday by Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office marks the latest investigation into Amazon’s critical warehouse workforce.
New Jersey claims the company routinely denied reasonable requests — such as time off or lifting limits — to put workers on unpaid leave, in violation of the state’s anti-discrimination law.
Platkin’s office said workers who are provided housing often have trouble meeting Amazon’s stringent production quotas, leading to them being fired.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and fines, as well as an order for Amazon to modify its employment practices.
“In building a trillion-dollar business, Amazon has blatantly violated (workers’) rights and ignored their well-being — while it continues to profit from their labor,” Platkin said in a statement.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has denied engaging in similar conduct in other cases, and has said it strives to support its employees.
Amazon is the second largest private employer in the United States, behind Walmart. Amazon operates about 40 distribution centers and smaller “sort centers” in New Jersey with about 50,000 employees.
Federal law and many states, including New Jersey, require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant and disabled workers who request it.
Amazon has faced several lawsuits in recent years involving claims of pregnancy or disability discrimination. The company in August settled a proposed class action in California alleging that pregnant employees were not allowed to take leave. The terms of that agreement were not disclosed. The company is facing an investigation into similar claims by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces federal laws barring employment discrimination.
Amazon has denied wrongdoing in those cases.