On Wednesday, Amazon faced a proposed class action lawsuit claiming it imposes “punitive” absenteeism policies on thousands of disabled workers in its warehouses.
The complaint alleges that the company, which is the largest private employer in the U.S. after Walmart, revoked unpaid leave and even threatened to fire an employee in New York who was seeking necessary accommodations. The accusation came after the employee was told to stay home due to excessive absences.
“Amazon’s practices seem to discourage workers from asserting their legal rights, as they understandably worry that requesting reasonable accommodations might lead to similar disciplinary action or termination,” the complaint states, which was filed in federal court in Manhattan.
As of now, Amazon hasn’t made a public statement regarding the lawsuit.
Threatening Emails Alleged
The lawsuit is led by Kayla Lister, who works at an Amazon warehouse close to Syracuse, New York. Lister has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder.
According to her, Amazon frequently placed her on unpaid leave while evaluating her requests for essentials like a chair, which she needed to avoid climbing ladders. Her supervisors allegedly reprimanded her for merely asking for assistance.
She described Amazon’s “punitive absence management system,” saying it sends emails to workers taking too much unpaid time off, even if those absences are legally permitted, demanding justifications within 48 hours or risk termination.
These communications, she said, serve to intimidate employees making reasonable accommodation requests.
New Jersey’s Recent Lawsuit
The lawsuit seeks damages for every hourly warehouse employee in New York state who has requested or intended to seek disability accommodations over the past three years.
“Employees shouldn’t have to choose between their safety and their paycheck,” stated Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a workplace advocacy group involved in the case.
This lawsuit comes just three weeks after New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a suit against Amazon. He accused the company of routinely denying requests for reasonable accommodations and placing pregnant and disabled employees on unpaid leave.
Amazon has denied these allegations, asserting that it approves over 99% of requests for pregnancy-related accommodations.
This case is filed as Lyster v. Amazon.com Services LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, case number 25-09423.
