Current Events > Amazon Denied a Worker Pregnancy Accommodations. Then She Miscarried.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://twitter.com/LaurenKGurley/status/1417485080348577802

Article:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5g8eq/amazon-denied-a-worker-pregnancy-accommodations-then-she-miscarried

---

tag

---

I wasn't aware they could deny that sort of thing

---

The baby's soul can rest comfortably knowing that their death was not in vain, but was a sacrifice to realize Jeff Bezos' dream of going to space.

---

Yeah forget that Jeff is going to outer space. WOW that is a win for us all . S/

---

Sue the pants off ol Jeffy boy

---

eston posted...

I wasn't aware they could deny that sort of thing

MURICA!

---

Hoping this costs Bozo a hell of a lot more in lawsuits than it would have to accommodate this poor woman.

---

Seriously for a moment. If you or anyone you know works at Amazon, tell them to quit and go work at McDonald's instead. If Amazon sees themselves hemorrhaging employees to employers who are offering better benefits they will be forced to adapt.

---

eston posted...

I wasn't aware they could deny that sort of thing

If there's no "light duty" work in the warehouse, there's not a lot of options.

Let's see the shills defend this

---

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Let's see the shills defend this

---

RchHomieQuanChi posted...

Let's see the shills defend this

aw... you just missed it.

"bUt BeZoS diDnT mAkE tHe DeCiSiOn"

---

Shit company, shit CEO, shit country

---

That sounds incredibly illegal

---

Tyranthraxus posted...

Seriously for a moment. If you or anyone you know works at Amazon, tell them to quit and go work at McDonald's instead. If Amazon sees themselves hemorrhaging employees to employers who are offering better benefits they will be forced to adapt.

Unfortunately that isn't necessarily true. They'll just add hours to current employees and hire temps if they're so short. I'm doing similar work.

---

MC_BatCommander posted...

That sounds incredibly illegal

Probably, but "what light-duty jobs?" may be an effective evasion.

This is America

---

muh pro life

---

Thats so tragic. I really hope they sue the shit out of them.

eston posted...

I wasn't aware they could deny that sort of thing

They do all the time. My doctor also submitted a note for me for reduced hours near the end of my pregnancy. But he fully said he would expect pushback because it happens all the time and said some companies look for ways of firing employees after they submit that. I opted not to send it since I work from home and was able to phone it in enough.

Also california pregnancy disability leave allows you to leave 4 weeks from your due date but I had to battle my insurance to pay for it. They required a ton of documentation from my doctor. Initially denied it but then I got additional paperwork from my pain care doctor that outlined a history of treatment. It took weeks to get it approved. They make you jump through so many hoops.

This is literally the exact kind of case I worked on in my last job. I hope she wins a batrillion dollars and both laws and policies change in response.

Companies systematically fail to acknowledge that pregnancy accommodations are mandated by federal law and many state laws and they treat women who ask for them like workers shirking in the gulags.

---

Realistically, the only reason amazon gives a shit is because the universal staffing shortage is seeing every place around competing with them in wages whilst not being nearly as shitty to work for.

That and the bad press ofc.

legendary_zell posted...

I hope she wins a batrillion dollars and both laws and policies change in response.

That policy change: Amazon's warehouse is staffed almost entirely by guys and post-menopausal women, for some unknown reason.

Questionmarktarius posted...

That policy change: Amazon's warehouse is staffed almost entirely by guys and post-menopausal women, for some unknown reason.

Which is one reason why we should stop running the planet on a system that prioritizes profit over people.

---

The moment she was told by her manager that they were not going to listen to her doctors order she should have quit immediately on the spot. Clearly they did not care so her decision should have been to value her doctors orders and the baby over the shitty job and sue them before now for failing to heed the doctors orders.

---

RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...

The moment she was told by her manager that they were not going to listen to her doctors order she should have quit immediately on the spot. Clearly they did not care so her decision should have been to value her doctors orders and the baby over the shitty job and sue them before now for failing to heed the doctors orders.

Easy to say but she most likely has bills to pay. Its not feasible for everyone to just quit a job with nothing else lined up. And these sorts of cases can take months, even years to battle.

Jfc Bezos is really pushing for Weyland/Yutani Corporation heights of dystopia

---

If she had family members you do all you can to save the baby over caring about bills as family is suppose to help when your in a really bad situation. Her doctor should have been the first stop to inform what was happening and where she can go for emergency help, housing, etc.

She had cousins working there, live with them in the short term, whatever it takes to keep that baby alive.

Hell I did not go in to work when my pet was sick, and my parent was in the hospital, did I get fired ? yes but I gave zero fucks because my family came first. The pets are still alive, my parent is healthy again, and I got a better job. Never sacrifice for a job when shit that matters more is at stake.

---

Questionmarktarius posted...

That policy change: Amazon's warehouse is staffed almost entirely by guys and post-menopausal women, for some unknown reason.

They can try that if they want, we'll sue them for that too because that's textbook sex discrimination.

Profit and maximum exploitation of workers can't be put before human life.

---

legendary_zell posted...

They can try that if they want, we'll sue them for that too because that's textbook sex discrimination.

"It's just a strange coincidence that nearly every woman working here is older than forty-something. Susan over there is 27, though - it's just another strange coincidence that she's had a hysterectomy!"

RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...

If she had family members you do all you can to save the baby over caring about bills as family is suppose to help when your in a really bad situation. Her doctor should have been the first stop to inform what was happening and where she can go for emergency help, housing, etc.

She had cousins working there, live with them in the short term, whatever it takes to keep that baby alive.

Hell I did not go in to work when my pet was sick, and my parent was in the hospital, did I get fired ? yes but I gave zero fucks because my family came first. The pets are still alive, my parent is healthy again, and I got a better job. Never sacrifice for a job when shit that matters more is at stake.

You dont know anyones financial situations. Maybe those cousins cant afford taking her in for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe her parents are shit heads. Maybe her family relied on her income to support them.

Im glad things worked out for you and you have strong family support. I do too and I appreciate that. But I also understand its not everyones situation and it can be easy to just point fingers. The bottom line is this is a common practice against women in a highly vulnerable position and more attention needs to be given to it so it can be changed.

True, and yes this shit does need to change, companies who do this and leave bodies in their wake need to be dealt with and they are breaking the law and people have lost their babies because of it.

I really hope someone crawls all the way up Amazons ass over this and fucks them hard so that no one else goes through this.

---

I'm not sure the lawsuit will be as large / easy as a lot of you seem to think.

Employers are required to offer reasonable accommodations for employees. Reasonable accommodation does not include removing essential job functions, creating new jobs, or providing personal need items such as eye glasses and mobility aids.

Does any "light duty" amazon warehouse job exist at entry level? As I understand it pretty much all of those jobs require either standing all the time, walking all the time, or lifting all the time.

"[HR] just told me there was no specific area for light work that wouldn't require over 15 pounds of lifting, or for me to be off my feet," she said.

I suspect pretty much nothing happens from this.

---

Uh... So no one has brought up the fact that miscarriages happen all the time for any reason? Babies only have like a 75% chance to make it to term during normal circumstances.

So I think Amazon should get sued of she can prove they ignored doctors orders, but she is going to have a hard time proving that lifting 20lb boxes actually caused a miscarriage.

Also I skimmed the article and didnt see how far along her pregnancy was. If she was past 20 weeks or so the baby is more or less "in the clear", barring a really bad accident.

kelemvor posted...

Also I skimmed the article and didnt see how far along her pregnancy was.

If you read the article, it's plainly obvious that Amazon has broken no laws here, almost to the point of malicious compliance.

kelemvor posted...

Uh... So no one has brought up the fact that miscarriages happen all the time for any reason? Babies only have like a 75% chance to make it to term during normal circumstances.

So I think Amazon should get sued of she can prove they ignored doctors orders, but she is going to have a hard time proving that lifting 20lb boxes actually caused a miscarriage.

Also I skimmed the article and didnt see how far along her pregnancy was. If she was past 20 weeks or so the baby is more or less "in the clear", barring a really bad accident.

It says she was seven weeks pregnant.

---

Questionmarktarius posted...

If you read the article, it's plainly obvious that Amazon has broken no laws here, almost to the point of malicious compliance.

The one area I think they may have messed up is in the review / approval of California Pregnancy Disability leave.

---

KILBOTz posted...

It says she was seven weeks pregnant.

Well there you go. She doesn't have a chance in court.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this was 7 weeks EGA. Im an OBGYN and it is kind of ludicrous to demand pregnancy accommodations at 7 weeks, although you would hope an employer would work with you. The most common cause of early pregnancy loss, especially the mid first trimester (about 1-2 weeks after people find out theyre pregnant much like this woman), is due to a genetic anomaly associated with the pregnancy

---

Shezarr posted...

Shit company, shit CEO, shit country

KILBOTz posted...

I'm not sure the lawsuit will be as large / easy as a lot of you seem to think.

KILBOTz posted...

I suspect pretty much nothing happens from this.

---

CADE FOSTER posted...

s*** company, s*** CEO

CEO, entrepreneur
Born in 1964
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bezos
CEO, psychopath
Born in 1964
Jeffrey
Jeffrey Bezos
Come on, Jeffrey, you can do it
Pave the way, put your back into it
Tell us why, show us how
Look at where you came from, look at how much you suck now
Gates and Buffet
less terrible than you
Come on, Jeff, get 'em!
AAAAH!

---

KILBOTz posted...

The one area I think they may have messed up is in the review / approval of California Pregnancy Disability leave.

Yeah, probably.

Imagine if this happened in Texas, they'd accuse her of doing it on purpose and arrest her.

---

MrPeppers posted...

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this was 7 weeks EGA. Im an OBGYN and it is kind of ludicrous to demand pregnancy accommodations at 7 weeks, although you would hope an employer would work with you. The most common cause of early pregnancy loss, especially the mid first trimester (about 1-2 weeks after people find out theyre pregnant much like this woman), is due to a genetic anomaly associated with the pregnancy

Why should it be ludicrous? Its ludicrous that its not a given, especially in the first trimester when the rate of miscarriage is higher. In Canada, she would have automatically been placed on leave without jumping through any hoops at all. My friend worked at Benjamin Moore and she was placed on immediate leave after discovering her pregnancy because of the dangers of paint fumes. My sister in law is a daycare manager and was also placed on immediate leave so as not to be exposed to sick children. Americas attitude towards working pregnant women is what is really ludicrous.

"You are not eligible for leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act because you have not worked 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months. You have worked approximately 841.57 hours," the letter dated October 26, 2020, states.

That's the number one issue i see...Putting something like this on the basis of hours worked is asinine.

---

Its a shame that you can get moderated for supporting illegal activities.

---

VipaGTS posted...

That's the number one issue i see...Putting something like this on the basis of hours worked is asinine.

There's no good alternative here.

Good thing she doesn't live in Texas because she'd probably have a murder conviction too.

---