Amazon was sued on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in a proposed nationwide class action accusing the retailer of systematically discriminating against thousands of pregnant employees. The case, filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, was brought by four former warehouse employees and filed by A Better Balance, a nonprofit that advocates for workers' rights.
The complaint alleges that Amazon denied pregnant workers basic accommodations, including chairs, bathroom and water breaks, and time off for prenatal appointments. It says the company threatened and regularly fired pregnant employees who missed too much work.
The plaintiffs also allege that Amazon illegally required medical documentation from pregnant workers seeking accommodations. According to the complaint, workers were made to continue working without modifications at great risk to their health.
The lawsuit claims the alleged conduct breaches the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and New York labour law. It seeks lost pay and benefits, punitive damages and a court order barring discrimination against pregnant employees.
One of the plaintiffs, Willamina Barclay, said Amazon issued her a termination warning on 17 June 2025. The warning came one day after she was taken by wheelchair from the company's Rochester, New York warehouse and hospitalised with a pregnancy-related emergency.
A Better Balance said nearly 200 Amazon workers contacted its free legal helpline in 2026. The lawsuit also says Amazon's alleged discriminatory and retaliatory policies have been recorded in several complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws.
Amazon rejected the allegations. Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said the retailer provides pregnancy-related accommodations to tens of thousands of employees each year. Nantel said Amazon approved more than 99.9% of accommodation requests in the last year.
The new case follows other legal challenges over Amazon's treatment of warehouse workers who were pregnant or had disabilities. New Jersey sued Amazon 11 months before this case, alleging widespread discrimination against those workers. New York brought a similar lawsuit against Amazon in 2022.
The proposed class action puts the allegations before a federal court on behalf of an unspecified number of workers nationwide. The complaint alleges a company-wide pattern, while Amazon's response points to its accommodation approval rate. The court process will determine whether the case can proceed as a class action and whether the claims are proved.
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