Amazon.com was sued on Wednesday in a proposed class action saying the retailer subjects thousands of warehouse employees with disabilities to a “punitive” policy governing workplace absences.
Amazon, the largest private-sector U.S. employer behind Walmart, was accused of docking unpaid time off when it orders New York employees seeking accommodations for disabilities to stay home, and then threatening to fire them for missing too much work.
“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,” according to the complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan.
The lawsuit seeks damages from Seattle-based Amazon for hourly warehouse workers in New York state over the last three years who sought or intended to seek accommodations for their disabilities.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said claims in the lawsuit that the Seattle-based company violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York human rights and employment laws are “simply not true.”
She added: “Ensuring the health and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we’re committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone.”
AMAZON ALLEGEDLY SENDS INTIMIDATING EMAILS
The lawsuit is led by Cayla Lyster, who works at an Amazon warehouse near Syracuse, New York, and said she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder.
Lyster said Amazon...
Rap star Nicki Minaj made an appearance at the US mission to the United Nations to echo President Donald Trump’s false claim that Christians are being systematically killed in Nigeria. Minaj appea...