Amazon Workers With Disabilities Sue Tech Giant for Discrimination

A group of Amazon employees has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging the company systematically discriminated against workers with disabilities, in part through its use of artificial intelligence, Laura Bratton reported for Yahoo Finance.

According to the complaint, the company often terminates employees or forces them to take unpaid leave rather than granting their requests for medical accommodations. (Image: Amazon)

Nine Amazon employees across multiple divisions and states filed a proposed class-action complaint in federal district court in Seattle on Oct. 20.

The suit claims Amazon unlawfully denies nearly all medical requests to work remotely as it enforces its return-to-office policy — and allegedly uses AI to process accommodation requests.

According to the complaint, the company often terminates employees or forces them to take unpaid leave rather than granting their requests for medical accommodations.

A judge must certify the lawsuit as a class action for it to proceed. The company filed a response this past Tuesday opposing the complaint, arguing that the employees’ case is “fundamentally flawed.”

“Most of the allegations in this case are simply untrue and intentionally misleading, and we plan to demonstrate that through the legal process,” Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in an email to Yahoo Finance.

The plaintiffs are represented by New York-based law firm Harman Green PC, which represents about two dozen disabled Amazon employees in similar cases. “We feel very confident about our claims,” said attorney Walker Harman Jr.