01-16-2025
A nationwide class of warehouse workers filed a lawsuit against Amazon over its smartphone app. Entitled “A to Z,” the required employee app provides the avenue for requesting accommodation, accessing employee schedules, and requesting time off. According to the suit, the app regularly refused requests for disability accommodations and did not engage in the interactive process required by the ADA.
Plaintiff Othea Jones loaded trucks at an Amazon warehouse. Jones stated that she requested an accommodation via the app after she became dizzy and collapsed in November 2023. Her doctor substantiated the request and said she experienced a stroke. Jones asked to limit her standing and keep any lifting to under 50 lbs. Jones asserted that Amazon could easily have accommodated her by allowing her to sit at work and/or placing her in a different position. Because she did not receive accommodation, Jones stated that she had to take off work due to her high blood pressure, which put her at risk of another stroke. Amazon fired Jones for taking too many absences.
The lawsuit alleged Amazon’s app “routinely denies employees their accommodations and was a per se failure to engage the interactive process.” This app “is designed to weed out employees with disabilities,“ and “specifically, employees who work in defendant’s warehouses.” The plaintiffs further asserted that Amazon provides no basis for denying the requested accommodations, leaving employees with just two options. Employees must work without accommodation or lose their jobs. “Accordingly, defendant’s A to Z app, which functions as its general human resources department, is patently illegal and rife with discriminatory animus.” The case was filed in Texas. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has recognized an independent cause of action for failing to engage in the interactive process under the ADA. Amazon has not yet issued a comment on the lawsuit.