Amazon is facing a federal class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday that claims the e-commerce giant uses "punitive attendance policies" against employees with disabilities.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges Amazon threatens workers with discipline or termination when they request legally protected accommodations.
The complaint highlights Amazon's automated system for tracking employee attendance.
According to the filing, this system discourages workers from exercising their legal rights, leaving them "under constant threat of punishment if they get sick or injured or need time off to care for a family member."
"This is basically putting workers in the position of needing to choose between their safety and their paycheck," said Inimai Chettiar, president of the nonprofit legal advocacy group A Better Balance, which helped file the lawsuit.
The suit, officially titled "Lyster v. Amazon.com Services LLC," centers on the experience of Cayla Lyster, an Amazon warehouse employee in upstate New York who has a permanent genetic connective-tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Lyster claims Amazon delayed her requests for accommodations, including a chair to sit on and avoidance of ladder work, while docking unpaid time off and threatening disciplinary action, CBS News reported.
"Ms. Lyster came perilously close to termination for her UPT deductions while on an unwanted, unpaid waiting period pending accommodation," the filing states.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial.
Amazon warehouse employees sue over ‘punitive’ handling of absences https://t.co/3UlS1x8nEq pic.twitter.com/SkDdqBubHR
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Amazon Denies ADA Violation Claims
Amazon has denied all allegations. A company spokesperson said in an emailed statement, "Claims that we don't follow federal and state laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York State Human Rights Law are simply not true. Ensuring the health and well-being of our employees is our top priority."
Amazon added that its Accommodations team reviews each request individually and continuously evaluates policies to support employees.
According to Reuters, the lawsuit claims Amazon's attendance system intimidates employees who request accommodations, sending emails demanding justification for absences within 48 hours or facing potential termination.
It also alleges broader issues with the company's handling of time-off requests for workers with disabilities.
"This case is specifically about workers with disabilities, but it reflects a larger pattern at Amazon around attendance and disciplinary policies," Chettiar said.
The filing comes weeks after New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sued Amazon for allegedly denying reasonable accommodations and placing pregnant and disabled workers on unpaid leave.
Amazon has stated it approves more than 99% of requests for pregnancy-related accommodations.
Originally published on vcpost.com
