Pregnant workers have the right to request certain modifications of their duties if the duties could put the mother and fetus at risk. So, when one 20-year-old mom-to-be presented her boss at Amazon with a doctor’s note, she felt sure it would be accommodated.
In 2024, the woman was working in Southern California as a “stower” in one of Amazon’s warehouses. Read on to learn more about the hurdles she faced when she requested standard pregnancy modifications.
Reasonable requests met unreasonable reactions
One of the pregnant worker’s tasks required her to lift 50-pound items overhead to secure them in moving pods.
Her doctor, concerned about the physicality of her job, wrote a note to her manager stating that his patient needed to lift no more than 20 lbs. She also had to limit twisting and bending and be able to take more frequent breaks, as her medical condition often caused her to faint.
Rather than accommodating the worker’s reasonable requests, her bosses told her that she could not sit in a chair or take regular breaks. She was forced to go on unpaid leave in order not to jeopardize the health of her unborn child.
Federal law mandates that Amazon and other companies offer pregnant workers “reasonable accommodations.” Examples of the accommodations include allowing more frequent breaks, allowing for schedule changes for prenatal visits and providing chairs for pregnant workers to sit on while carrying out their job duties.
The California woman faced financial ruin as a result of losing the wages from her job during her pregnancy.
If you are facing a similar situation of workplace discrimination, learning more about your rights and responsibilities as an employee can guide your next move.