Current:Home > MyAmazon is failing to provide accommodations for disabled workers, labor group claims-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Amazon is failing to provide accommodations for disabled workers, labor group claims
View Date:2024-12-23 16:28:10
Amazon is failing to provide adequate workplace accommodations for disabled employees, a violation of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), according to labor activists.
Amazon workers with disabilities told United for Respect, a nonprofit group that advocates for retail workers, that the e-commerce giant's warehouses have high injury rates and that the company discriminates against disabled employees. Amazon's process for injured and disabled workers to request job accommodations is also unclear, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The study, issued on the anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the ADA into law 33 years ago, noted that Amazon portrays the company as a "welcoming workplace" for disabled workers, but claims the reality is far different. The pace of work at its warehouses increases the risk of injury for its employees, while injured or disabled workers face challenges trying to get accommodations, the report alleges.
"What I thought would be a great job quickly turned into a nightmare," Amazon warehouse worker Denise Kohr said Wednesday in a press conference organized by United for Respect.
She added, "There are far too many injuries happening at Amazon because of the company policies in regards to hitting certain rate quotas...that we have to process a certain amount of products or packages per day in order to avoid some kind of disciplinary action or write-up."
Kohr, who injured her shoulder while working at the company, noted that her requests for accommodations were ignored, and she described her effort to get help from Amazon as "a never-ending process."
She added, "We risk getting injured again because the company will delay or even ignore a request for accommodation."
Allegations of unsafe working conditions have long dogged Amazon's warehouses, with federal regulators fining the retailer earlier this year for safety violations. But there hasn't been as much scrutiny given to its treatment of disabled employees.
Amazon told CBS MoneyWatch that the company was recently named as a "best place to work for disability inclusion" by the Disability Equality Index, which is a joint effort from two disability-rights organizations.
"While we're still reviewing this announcement from a union-created and funded organization, the fact is, we have comprehensive programs for employees who may need accommodations or restricted work either because of a disability or during recovery from an injury — whether it occurred on or off the job," an Amazon spokeswoman told CBS MoneyWatch.
United for Respect said the group is not a union-backed organization.
"I felt like I was being targeted"
The challenge some disabled workers at Amazon report in getting job accommodations, as required by federal law, appears to be a systemic issue at Amazon, said attorney Frank Kearl with the left-leaning Center for Popular Democracy.
"The company is designed specifically to exclude individuals with disabilities and churn through them so they no longer stay employed at Amazon," Kearl said in the news conference organized by United for Respect.
Lanita Hammons, an Amazon employee from Little Rock, Arkansas, said in the call that she suffered multiple physical health issues and asked if she could take a break to sit in a chair occasionally throughout the day due to her pain. Her doctor recommended that Hammons use a walker during work.
After asking for accommodations, Hammons was placed on short-term leave instead, she told reporters.
"I felt like I was being targeted because I needed accommodations," Hammons said. "I got placed on short-term disability leave, and that was extended because they refused to accept my doctor's prescription for me to be on a walker."
Former Amazon employee Kathleen Hildebrant from Sussex, Wisconsin, had a similar experience, and said she was fired after requesting disability accommodations for anxiety and depression. She described Amazon's treatment as "retaliatory."
"They will send people home on a leave of absence with no answer" about accommodations, Hildebrant said.
But even if a worker receives an accommodation form, that doesn't mean their request will be fulfilled, Kearl said.
"Even if you get the piece of paper, that doesn't mean the manager is going to respect that," he noted. "And there's no one holding those managers accountable."
- In:
- Amazon
Sanvi Bangalore is a business reporting intern for CBS MoneyWatch. She attends American University in Washington, D.C., and is studying business administration and journalism.
TwitterveryGood! (1799)
Related
- Cold case arrest: Florida man being held in decades-old Massachusetts double murder
- Trump is pointing to new numbers on migrants with criminal pasts. Here’s what they show
- 'Shazam!' star Zachary Levi endorses Donald Trump while moderating event with RFK Jr.
- How can I help those affected by Hurricane Helene? Here are ways you can donate
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- Why Lionel Messi did Iron Man celebration after scoring in Inter Miami-Charlotte FC game
- Alabama football's freshman receiver Ryan Williams is only 17, but was old enough to take down Georgia
- National Coffee Day 2024: Free coffee at Dunkin', Krispy Kreme plus more deals, specials
- Michelle Obama Is Diving Back into the Dating World—But It’s Not What You Think
- What is 'Ozempic face'? How we refer to weight-loss side effects matters.
Ranking
- Full House's John Stamos Shares Message to Costar Dave Coulier Amid Cancer Battle
- Kailyn Lowry Shares Why She Just Developed a Strategy for Dealing With Internet Trolls
- Hailey Bieber Debuts Hair Transformation One Month After Welcoming First Baby With Justin Bieber
- NASCAR 2024 playoffs at Kansas: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Hollywood Casino 400
- Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
- 'Never gotten a response like this': Denial of Boar's Head listeria records raises questions
- An asteroid known as a 'mini-moon' will join Earth's orbit for 2 months starting Sunday
- John Ashton, Taggart in 'Beverly Hills Cop' films, dies at 76
Recommendation
-
‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
-
NFL Week 4 injury report: Live updates for active, inactive players for Sunday's games
-
Jussie Smollett says he has 'to move forward' after alleged hate crime hoax
-
Milo Ventimiglia's Wife Jarah Mariano Is Pregnant With First Baby
-
How Kim Kardashian Navigates “Uncomfortable” Situations With Her 4 Kids
-
What is 'Ozempic face'? How we refer to weight-loss side effects matters.
-
Over 90,000 Georgia residents sheltering a day after chemical plant fire sends chlorine into the air
-
Residents told to evacuate or take shelter after Georgia chemical fire