The women were laid off between April 2025 and July 2026. According to the lawsuit, Amazon required doctor's notes for very simple accommodations and deducted time from employees' unpaid leave when they needed to see a doctor or take medically necessary breaks, ultimately leading to threats of termination and dismissal.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, determined in February 2026 that there was reasonable cause to believe that Amazon had discriminated against a nationwide group of pregnant warehouse workers by failing to accommodate their needs. The lawsuit relies, among other things, on the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which came into effect in 2023. According to the organization A Better Balance, which represents the women along with a civil rights law firm, nearly 200 Amazon employeesE-commerce company strikes back
Amazon denies the allegations and claims that the lawsuit contains inaccuracies and omits important details. A company spokesperson states that they have approved over 99.9 percent of all requests for pregnancy accommodations in the past year, including extra breaks and seated work assignments. Amazon also states that they strive to provide a safe and supportive environment for all their employees and that they conduct thorough internal reviews of each individual case. This is not the first time Amazon's procedures regarding toilet visits and breaks have come under scrutiny. As early as April 2021, the company was forced to apologizesued the company