Amazon has been sued in New York in a proposed nationwide class action accusing the company of discriminating against pregnant warehouse workers by denying basic workplace accommodations and penalizing employees for pregnancy-related absences. The lawsuit, filed by four former employees, alleges that some workers were threatened with termination and that one plaintiff was fired days after being hospitalized during her pregnancy.
Amazon is facing a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit accusing the company of systematically discriminating against pregnant employees by denying workplace accommodations, including access to chairs, bathroom and water breaks, and time off for prenatal appointments.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, by four former Amazon warehouse employees. The plaintiffs allege that the company violated the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and New York labor laws through policies that penalized pregnant workers for taking medically necessary breaks or time away from work.
According to the complaint, pregnant employees were sometimes required to provide medical documentation for accommodation requests, including requests to sit down, take restroom breaks or receive additional breaks. The lawsuit also alleges that workers who accumulated too much unpaid time off or were flagged for excessive time away from their duties faced warnings and, in some cases, termination.
One of the plaintiffs, Willamina Barclay, alleges that she was hospitalized following a pregnancy related medical emergency in June 2025 after experiencing severe abdominal pain while lifting heavy objects at an Amazon warehouse in Rochester, New York.
The complaint alleges that Amazon issued Barclay a termination warning the day after the hospitalization and claimed that the absence pushed her beyond the company's limit for unpaid time off. She was fired five days later, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for lost wages and benefits, punitive damages and an injunction requiring Amazon to change policies they say discriminate against pregnant employees.
Amazon did not immediately comment on the latest lawsuit. The company has previously said it provides comprehensive accommodations for pregnant employees and approves the vast majority of accommodation requests.
The New York case adds to growing legal scrutiny of Amazon's treatment of pregnant and disabled workers. New Jersey sued Amazon in October 2025, alleging that the company discriminated against warehouse employees with disabilities and those who were pregnant. New York authorities had also brought a separate case against Amazon in 2022 involving alleged discrimination against pregnant workers.
The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, unless providing the accommodation would create an undue hardship.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the federal law, is also considering changes to regulations governing the act. The agency had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest lawsuit, according to Reuters.
Amazon employed approximately 1.58 million full and part-time workers at the end of 2025, making it one of the largest private employers in the United States. The size of its workforce means disputes over workplace policies can have significant implications for employees and the company's labor practices.
The allegations against Amazon have yet to be proven in court. The proposed class action will now proceed through the federal court system, where the plaintiffs will have to establish their claims.
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