Amazon’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate for employees with disabilities is drawing some stiff complaints from disability advocacy groups and accusations of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, Fortune reports.
Two Amazon employees have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board, two federal agencies focusing on workplace conditions. The EEOC received a list from one employee containing the names of 18 employees who were “similarly situated” to enhance their experience and prompt federal regulators to initiate an investigation.
After President Donald Trump mandated that federal agency workers return to the office in early 2025, Amazon was one of several businesses that followed suit. In a letter addressed to the company’s CEO, Matt Garman, employees labeled the policy as unfair and “non-data-driven.” Disabled employees took it further by expressing their disdain with how the company is handling their accommodation requests, such as being exempt from returning to the office five days a week.
According to HR Brew, employees with disabilities who wish to continue working remotely are required to provide proof, including medical documentation, to an “accommodation consultant.”
Without it, they would be forced to work in the office for up to 30 days, during which the company would need to demonstrate a need for the requested accommodations. With AI on the rise, there is concern that the tool will utilize AI to analyze accommodation requests, read doctors’ notes, and make recommendations based on keywords.
Former EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum feels it’s almost a guarantee that the tool will be used, but also feels Amazon would have to prove that adding accommodations would substantially burden the company. “It’s impossible to imagine that companies will not be using AI for any number of needs, including this one,” Feldblum said.
Several employees believe the rule is merely a way for Amazon to indicate that they are not welcome. In a LinkedIn post, cybersecurity engineer and self-identified neurodivergent worker, Nathan Chung, shared similar thoughts.
“They might as well advertise that people with disabilities are not wanted,” Chung said, who has close to 19,000 followers.
Founder and CEO of Global Disability Inclusion, Meg O’Connell, believes Amazon’s move sets a precedent for prohibiting people with disabilities from finding employment. “The problem with eliminating all remote work is that you’re hindering people with disabilities from being gainfully employed, or a large population of them,” O’Connell said.
“People with disabilities have what they need in their homes. They don’t have to ask for accommodation [because] they’ve already built out their space.”
Amazon spokesperson Zoe Hoffmann claims that Amazon’s Disability and Leave Services team ensures employees have access to the necessary accommodations and adjustments to be effective and advance their careers. She labeled the process as “empathetic,” but O’Connell says, “We don’t really believe you.”
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