People all over New Jersey take great pride in their jobs. While most businesses appreciate the work that their employees do, there are those who do not honor employer obligations mandated by law. This includes fair wages for work, appropriate meal and rest breaks and the assurance that protected classes will not experience workplace discrimination. Several Amazon employees say that they were fired for being pregnant, which is, by law, a protected status. These workers are now pursing civil litigation in the hopes of holding their former employer accountable.
The former workers say that their employer did not accommodate their needs in regard to pregnancy. They asked their supervisors and managers for more time to use the bathroom and to work for less time on their feet. Several of these employees allege that when they informed supervisors that they were pregnant, they were fired soon afterward. Critics say that as Amazon has expanded, it has done so at the cost of its workers and treated many employees unfairly in addition to those who are pregnant. The company, they say, values productivity over the needs of the people who make Amazon what it is.
One worker at the Amazon fulfillment center here in New Jersey said that during her pregnancy, she got the flu. Doctors put her on three days bed rest, and she says that although she gave her supervisors a note from her physician, she was still fired. There are several similar stories that many women tell from other Amazon centers around the country. Supporters of Amazon say that this isn't the experience of all the company's pregnant workers, but critics counter that those women are often in managerial roles.
No employee should have to choose between the safety of her pregnancy and her job. Those who feel they may have experienced workplace discrimination may want to pursue civil litigation, as many of these women have done. An experienced employment law attorney can detail all of a worker's rights and options.
Comments
There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.
Leave a Comment