Amazon Ordered to Comply with EEOC Subpoena Over Pregnancy Discrimination Claims

A New York federal judge has mandated that Amazon comply with a subpoena from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigating allegations of pregnancy discrimination at its warehouses. The judge's order follows complaints from five women. Amazon must provide relevant data by August 9.

A New York federal judge has ordered Amazon.com to comply with a subpoena from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is investigating claims that the online retailer discriminated against pregnant warehouse workers.

U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield in Manhattan rejected Amazon's contention that the EEOC's subpoena was excessively broad and sought irrelevant information. The EEOC is specifically looking for data on accommodation requests made by pregnant workers at five U.S. warehouses, such as limits on heavy lifting and additional breaks, and whether Amazon granted or denied these requests.

The investigation was triggered by complaints from five women who alleged pregnancy discrimination while working at Amazon warehouses in New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, and California. Although Amazon has provided the EEOC with over 200,000 pages of data, it has not yet supplied the specific information sought by the agency.

In her ruling, Judge Schofield stated that the requested information is necessary for the EEOC to determine whether Amazon engaged in illegal discrimination. Amazon has until August 9 to comply with the subpoena. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the EEOC declined to comment.

In 2022, a New York state agency filed an administrative complaint accusing Amazon of requiring pregnant and disabled warehouse workers to take unpaid leaves of absence rather than providing accommodations. That case is still pending. Amazon denies any wrongdoing but acknowledged that it does not always get things right.

The EEOC began its investigation last year and issued a subpoena for five categories of data, including information on accommodations provided to workers with disabilities. At that time, federal law required companies to offer pregnant workers the same accommodations as those provided to disabled employees. A law passed later that year now mandates accommodations for pregnancies regardless of policies for disabled workers.