Amazon Sued Over Automated Attendance System That Allegedly Punishes Sick Workers

Amazon hit with class-action lawsuit over attendance tracking

Amazon is facing a federal class-action lawsuit after a former warehouse employee in Syracuse, New York, alleged the company’s automated attendance system keeps workers under a “constant threat of punishment” when they call in sick or request legally protected leave or accommodations.

The complaint, filed yesterday by plaintiff Cayla Lyster, claims Amazon’s attendance-monitoring software can trigger discipline — including threats of termination — when employees seek accommodations or take time off for medical reasons. The suit alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and two New York state laws that address disability discrimination and workplace absence policies.

Plaintiff’s allegations

Lyster, who began working at an Amazon warehouse in Syracuse in 2022, says that after her job duties were changed in late 2023 she requested modest accommodations, such as a different chair, because she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder. According to the complaint, Amazon denied those requests and subjected her to derogatory comments and intrusive questioning about her medical condition.

“Under this system, employees live under constant threat of punishment if they get sick or injured or need time off to care for a family member,” the complaint states.

The filing also alleges that deductions were made to Lyster’s unpaid time-off balance after she submitted requests for leave, and that she came “perilously close to termination” while awaiting accommodations during an unpaid waiting period despite repeated attempts to explain her absences.

Advocates call for accountability

The nonprofit A Better Balance issued a statement supporting Lyster. Lyster herself said the experience has been “one of the most stressful and mentally damaging periods” of her life, and she vowed to press for changes so that associates with disabilities are treated with dignity.

Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, criticized Amazon’s policies for forcing employees to choose between their health and their pay. “These workers shouldn’t ever need to choose between their safety and their paycheck,” she said. “And no company—not even Amazon—is above the law.”

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial. The Independent has contacted Amazon for comment.