TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) have filed a sweeping lawsuit accusing Amazon of systematically discriminating against pregnant employees and workers with disabilities at its warehouses across the state.
The 10-count civil complaint, filed in New Jersey Superior Court, alleges that Amazon’s employment practices violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) by denying workers reasonable accommodations, forcing them onto unpaid leave, retaliating against them for requesting assistance, and terminating employees who could not meet the company’s rigid productivity standards.
Key Points
- Attorney General Platkin accuses Amazon of a “pattern or practice” of discrimination against pregnant and disabled warehouse workers.
- The state’s complaint cites automatic unpaid leave, denial of accommodations, and retaliation as core violations.
- New Jersey seeks an injunction, damages, and penalties to halt the alleged discriminatory practices.
State: Amazon exploited vulnerable workers
Attorney General Platkin said the investigation revealed a corporate culture that prioritized productivity over the rights and well-being of employees. “Amazon has exploited pregnant workers and workers with disabilities in its New Jersey warehouses,” he said. “In building a trillion-dollar business, Amazon has flagrantly violated their rights and ignored their well-being — all while profiting off their labor.”
DCR Director Yolanda N. Melville added that Amazon’s actions caused “dire financial and health consequences” for affected employees, emphasizing that the state’s civil rights laws offer broader protections than federal law.
Complaint cites thousands of ignored accommodation requests
According to state investigators, Amazon warehouse workers in New Jersey filed more than 27,000 requests for disability- or pregnancy-related accommodations over a recent two-year period — averaging more than one request per hour. The complaint alleges that Amazon routinely delayed or denied these requests, often placing employees on unpaid leave or firing them shortly after they sought accommodations.
One pregnant employee was allegedly put on leave after requesting to use a wheelchair, while another was terminated weeks after asking for help lifting heavy packages. In some cases, Amazon allegedly rejected accommodation requests if employees could not submit medical paperwork within seven days — a deadline the state says violates the LAD.
Approved accommodations still led to firings
The complaint also claims that even when Amazon approved limited accommodations, the company continued to hold employees to standard productivity quotas, resulting in discipline or termination for failing to meet benchmarks they were physically unable to achieve.
State seeks injunction and penalties
New Jersey is seeking an injunction to stop Amazon from continuing the alleged discrimination, as well as civil monetary penalties, punitive damages, and compensation for affected workers covering lost wages, benefits, and emotional distress.
The lawsuit follows another complaint filed earlier this week by Platkin and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development accusing Amazon of misclassifying its Flex delivery drivers as independent contractors to avoid paying wages and benefits.
Amazon, which employs about 50,000 workers in its New Jersey warehouses, has not yet publicly responded to the new complaint.