Today, national workers’ rights advocacy organization A Better Balance and civil rights law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel, LLP filed a groundbreaking class action suit in New York City federal court against Amazon, alleging a systemic pattern of punishing pregnant warehouse workers for requesting basic accommodations they are legally entitled to receive under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The complaint is available here.
Brought by former Amazon warehouse workers Jennifer Hatch of Buffalo and Willamina Barclay, Kristina Green, and Dazaria Parks of Rochester, New York, on behalf of themselves and pregnant Amazon warehouse workers nationwide, the lawsuit is the first of its kind and details the devastating consequences of Amazon’s discriminatory and retaliatory practices. Hatch alleges Amazon denied her basic accommodations, including short breaks and permission to sit, and later fired her after a pregnancy-related hospitalization. Barclay alleges Amazon denied her request for brief sitting breaks or the use of a chair, and fired her after a pregnancy-related medical emergency. Green alleges Amazon repeatedly penalized her for pregnancy-related breaks and accommodations and ultimately fired her for legally protected time she spent pumping breast milk. Parks alleges Amazon denied her request for additional restroom breaks and permission to sit while working, then fired her for missing work when she was forced onto leave by Amazon’s refusal to accommodate her. All four workers bring claims under the landmark Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which gives workers the right to reasonable accommodations, like light duty, breaks, or a stool to sit on, for pregnancy, childbirth recovery, and related medical conditions, including lactation, unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer.
“No corporation is above the law, not even Amazon. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was designed to end the cruel choice many women have faced between a healthy pregnancy and a paycheck. Our clients’ experiences show why this protection is so necessary. We are proud to stand behind them as they fight to hold one of our nation’s largest employers accountable,” said Inimai Chettiar, President of A Better Balance. “At a moment when the Trump administration is waging a war on women and threatening to roll back critical protections for pregnant workers, this case is a stark reminder of exactly what is at stake.”
“The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act became law years ago. Amazon should have well-established policies to comply with federal law. But, as our lawsuit details, Amazon regularly violates the law. Under its policies, pregnant workers are not protected, and they face retaliation for exercising their rights. Too often, pregnant women working at Amazon warehouses have to risk their health or their pregnancy just to do their jobs,” said Debbie Greenberger, a partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel, LLP.
This lawsuit alleges systemic, company-wide failures at Amazon: when pregnant workers seek basic accommodations for the health of their pregnancy like sitting or additional restroom or water breaks, they face delays or denials, and then they ultimately are penalized including being forced out of their jobs.
The claims brought by Hatch, Barclay, Green, and Parks in the lawsuit follow the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s own February 2026 finding, made in connection with Jennifer Hatch’s Charge of Discrimination with the agency, that there was reasonable cause to believe that Amazon systemically violated the PWFA by failing to accommodate pregnancy-related limitations nationwide.
This case is the latest legal action brought by A Better Balance challenging Amazon’s accommodation practices. In November 2025, A Better Balance and co-counsel filed a separate nationwide class action alleging that Amazon unlawfully penalized warehouse workers with disabilities who requested accommodations.