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The basics:

• NJ Attorney General sues Amazon for alleged workplace discrimination
• Complaint claims e-commerce giant denied pregnancy and disability accommodations
• AG says Amazon violated NJ’s Law Against Discrimination
• Amazon denies wrongdoing, citing high accommodation approval rates

New Jersey is accusing Amazon of discriminating against pregnant workers and employees with disabilities who sought workplace accommodations at its warehouse operations in the state.

Following an investigation covering dozens of the Seattle-based e-commerce giant’s facilities, the New Jersey Attorney General‘s Office sued Amazon for “a pattern or practice of discrimination” that violated worker civil rights, authorities announced in an Oct. 22 statements.

In a complaint in New Jersey Superior Court, the Division on Civil Rights claimed that Amazon routinely denies reasonable requests, such as limits on heavy lifting or time off, and then engages in discriminatory practices aimed at pushing pregnant workers and employees with disabilities out of its workforce.

The DCR said Amazon has violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD) by retaliating against employees seeking accommodations by “unreasonably delaying its response to accommodation requests,” putting them on unpaid leave and terminating workers with accommodations for “failing to meet the company’s rigid productivity requirements.”

Besides violating the LAD by denying reasonable accommodation requests, the 10-count complaint alleges that Amazon failed to engage in an interactive process with workers and unfairly treated workers based on their protected characteristics.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and penalties, as well as an order requiring Amazon to modify its employment practices.

NJ’s largest private employer

With roughly 50,000 workers across its nearly 40 distribution centers and smaller sort centers in New Jersey, Amazon is the state’s largest private employer. It’s also the second largest private employer in the U.S. after Walmart.

According to the AG’s office, employees in New Jersey made over 27,000 requests for pregnancy and disability-related accommodations over a recent two-year period.

In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, “Put simply, Amazon has exploited pregnant workers and workers with disabilities in its New Jersey warehouses. 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.”

Platkin added, “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.”

Claims ‘are simply not true’

In a statement to NJBIZ, Amazon said, “The claims that we don’t follow federal and state laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act or the NJ Law Against Discrimination are simply not true. Ensuring the health and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we’re committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone.”

“The fact is we offer employees comprehensive accommodations throughout their pregnancy journey and postpartum. Since 2022, we’ve processed more than 72,500 pregnancy accommodations requests in US Operations alone, and our current approval rate for pregnancy accommodation requests is higher than 99%. We also offer up to 20 weeks of fully paid leave for eligible birthing parents,” the company said.

The lawsuit comes two days after the AG’s office and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of misclassifying delivery drivers as independent contractors and unlawfully depriving them of rightful wages and benefits. Amazon also pushed back on those claims.