Lawsuit: Amazon refused to give pregnant workers bathroom breaks and chairs

The state of New Jersey previously sued Amazon in October 2025, alleging widespread discrimination against pregnant workers and employees with disabilities. Amazon reported $200.6 billion in net sales in Q2 2026 and a net income of $62.6 billion.

Amazon says it approved 99.9% of pregnancy requests

Amazon said in a statement provided to Ars that the claims in the New York-based workers’ lawsuit “contain inaccuracies and omit important details” and “do not reflect the full facts of these cases or the reality of our extensive accommodations process…. While we’re not able to discuss individual employee details, we have conducted thorough internal reviews of each case referenced.”

Amazon said it “strive[s] to provide a safe and supportive environment for everyone, which includes supporting tens of thousands of employees with pregnancy accommodations each year. In the past year, more than 99.9 percent of pregnancy related accommodations requests have been approved,” including “additional breaks, modified duty, or seated roles.”

Amazon also said it provides “up to 20 weeks of fully paid leave for eligible birthing parents, including four weeks of pre-partum leave and a ramp-back program.”

Barclay and Green worked at an Amazon warehouse in Rochester, New York. Hatch had a job processing customer returns in a Lancaster fulfillment center, while Parks was a delivery associate at an Amazon delivery station in Rochester.

The former Amazon workers are represented by A Better Balance, a nonprofit advocacy group. The lawsuit seeks to represent a nationwide class of Amazon workers and a subclass of New York-based Amazon workers. The four named plaintiffs want reinstatement, back pay, compensation for lost benefits, and punitive damages.

Amazon “did not permit her to have a chair”

Amazon allowed Barclay to switch from a “picker” to a “packer” role, but she “was still forced to stand for long periods, squat repetitively, and lift heavy boxes,” the lawsuit said. The lawsuit alleged that even when “Barclay dutifully submitted medical documentation from her provider to support her original requests,” Amazon denied some of the requests.