Amazon employee was denied a chair to sit at work, so she took them to court

Amazon has been all over the news, but this time, for all the wrong reasons! The global e-commerce powerhouse was accused of primarily practicing "punitive attendance policies" against its employees. The complaint was filed by a worker, Cayla Lyster, who claimed that Amazon uses a computer system to monitor their attendance. Moreover, they said, the company doesn't allow time off to workers even when they're sick, injured, or need to care for a family member. In fact, Amazon threatens to terminate them for taking leave, according to a CBS News report on November 12. The controversy began when Lyster, down with severe health issues, had asked for a chair to sit on, but the company's response forced her to drag them to court.

Apparently, Amazon hasn't been great with workers with special needs. The lawsuit also mentions that the company has been violating the law, specifically the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and two New York state laws that protect workers with disabilities. Lyster, the one who filed the lawsuit, suffers from a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects her connective tissue. She started working for Amazon in upstate New York in 2022 and recounted how she had difficulties requesting accommodations in 2023. In fact, she had requested a chair to sit on, but the company responded insensitively and delayed giving it to her. Inimai Chettiar, the president of the nonprofit legal advocacy organization "A Better Balance," helped Lyster file the lawsuit. In a statement, she said, "It's [Amazon's policy] basically putting workers in the position of needing to choose between their safety and their paycheck." When CBS inquired about the accusations, Amazon responded by simply denying the allegations.

"[The] claims that we don't follow federal and state laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) 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," they replied. Moving on, Amazon claimed that its accommodations team reviews every request to ensure employees have access to what they need. "We continuously evaluate our approach to best address their needs," the company added. However, Lyster said that Amazon was extremely insensitive towards her. The company had even asked inappropriate questions about her medical condition, docked her unpaid time off, and had threatened her with disciplinary action and termination. Lyster made multiple efforts to communicate with Amazon and explain her leave, but she had come close to being fired while waiting for her accommodation request to be approved.

Currently, she has requested compensatory and punitive damages as well as a jury trial. Notably, the lawsuit was filed after a five-year investigation by "A Better Balance," which documented hundreds of complaints by pregnant and disabled Amazon workers who requested time off. "The case that we filed today is specifically about workers with disabilities, but this is part of a broader issue at Amazon around their attendance and disciplinary policies," Chettiar said. While employees are entitled to time off, companies often create problems when workers try to claim it. In fact, employees have also been forced to work while sick, on vacation, and during an emergency. In 2023, Bamboo HR surveyed 1,565 full-time US office workers and found that a majority (89%) of workers had worked through sickness in the last 12 months. Employers have instilled such fear in workers that 64% of them said they experience negative emotions when requesting sick time, including stress, anxiety, guilt, or fear.

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