Amazon under legal scrutiny over “Punitive” absence policy for disabled warehouse workers

The lawsuit accused the retailer of imposing a “punitive” absence-control system that leaves employees fearful of requesting legally protected accommodations. 

According to a Reuters report, the lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Amazon docked unpaid time off from New York warehouse employees after instructing them to stay home while their accommodation requests were under review, and then threatened to fire them for exceeding allowable absences. It argues such practices “chill employees’ exercise of their legal rights” by creating a climate where seeking help risks disciplinary action.

The case seeks damages on behalf of thousands of hourly warehouse workers across New York state who sought or intended to seek disability-related accommodations over the past three years. 

Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the US after Walmart, is accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as New York’s human rights and labour laws.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel pushed back strongly, calling the claims “simply not true” and emphasising the company’s commitment to a safe, supportive workplace. “Ensuring the health and well-being of our employees is our top priority,” she said.

Leading the lawsuit is Cayla Lyster, a warehouse worker near Syracuse who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder. Lyster alleges Amazon repeatedly placed her on unpaid leave, at one point for nearly six weeks, while it reviewed simple accommodation requests such as access to a chair and relief from climbing ladders. 

During this period, she said supervisors berated her for seeking support. The complaint also highlights Amazon’s absence monitoring system, which allegedly sends workers e-mails demanding justification for unpaid leave within 48 hours, even when that leave is legally protected, warning that failure to respond could result in termination. 

Lyster said the messages “intimidate and threaten employees who have exercised their rights.” “This is a stark example of workers being forced to choose between their safety and their pay cheque,” said Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, the advocacy group supporting the lawsuit. 

The filing comes just three weeks after New Jersey Attorney-General Matthew Platkin sued Amazon over similar claims, alleging the company routinely denies reasonable accommodations and pushes pregnant and disabled workers onto unpaid leave. 

Amazon has denied Platkin's allegations, saying it approves more than 99% of pregnancy-related accommodation requests. 

Amazon’s treatment of warehouse workers has been under heat for quite a few years now. Back in 2022, an article in The Guardian highighted just how tough life on the warehouse floor can be. Strikingly high turnover, with the average worker leaving within eight months, signaled a workplace defined by relentless pace, intense monitoring, and barely any time to pause. 

Experts quoted in the article warned that Amazon’s algorithms have reduced human workers to something akin to “machine extensions,” performing repetitive tasks hour after hour. Add to that the recurring stories of workers struggling to even take a bathroom break without risking penalties, and the latest lawsuits underline how one of the world’s most influential companies is still grappling with the basics of humane working conditions.