New Jersey sues Amazon, alleging discrimination against pregnant and disabled warehouse workers

TRENTON, N.J. — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced Wednesday that the state has filed a complaint against Amazon, alleging the company systematically discriminated against pregnant employees and workers with disabilities in its warehouses across New Jersey.

Filed in New Jersey Superior Court, the complaint accuses Amazon — the state’s largest private employer — of violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) by denying reasonable accommodations, forcing employees onto unpaid leave, and retaliating against those who sought workplace adjustments for medical reasons.

“Put simply, Amazon has exploited pregnant workers and workers with disabilities in its New Jersey warehouses,” said Attorney General Platkin. “In building a trillion-dollar business, Amazon has flagrantly violated their rights and ignored their well-being — all while it continues to profit off their labor. There is no excuse for Amazon’s shameful treatment of pregnant workers and workers with disabilities. Amazon’s egregious conduct has caused enormous damage to pregnant workers and workers with disabilities in our state, and it must stop now.”

According to the complaint, a years-long DCR investigation found that Amazon’s internal practices reflected a pattern of unlawful conduct, including:

• Automatically placing pregnant or disabled employees on unpaid leave while their accommodation requests were pending.
• Terminating employees shortly after they requested accommodations.
• Denying reasonable accommodations such as modified schedules or light-duty work.
• Requiring medical documentation within seven days — a restriction not permitted under state law — and closing requests if paperwork was delayed.
• Applying strict productivity metrics even to employees who had approved accommodations.

One pregnant employee, for example, requested to use a wheelchair and was immediately placed on unpaid leave while her request was under review. Another worker who asked for a disability accommodation was told she was being placed on leave because her worksite was “unable to accommodate your restrictions.”

The DCR investigation revealed that Amazon warehouse employees in New Jersey made more than 27,000 requests for pregnancy- or disability-related accommodations over a two-year period — averaging more than one request per hour — yet many were met with delayed responses, denials, or dismissals.

“New Jersey’s civil rights laws exist to shield people living and working in our state from discrimination, and the Law Against Discrimination offers strong worker protections that extend beyond what is granted under federal law,” said DCR Director Yolanda N. Melville. “But Amazon has engaged in practices that had dire financial and health consequences for pregnant and disabled workers in New Jersey. Today’s complaint underscores our commitment to protecting people working in our state.”

The 10-count complaint alleges that Amazon violated the LAD by denying reasonable accommodations, failing to engage in the interactive process, engaging in disparate treatment, maintaining policies with a disparate impact, and retaliating against affected employees.

The state is seeking an injunction to stop the discriminatory practices, as well as civil penalties, punitive damages, and compensatory damages for affected employees, including lost wages, emotional distress, and mental anguish.

This lawsuit follows another complaint filed earlier this week by the Attorney General and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, accusing Amazon and its Amazon Logistics delivery network of misclassifying Flex delivery drivers as independent contractors and depriving them of wages and benefits.