Amazon sued after warehouse worker in New York brings COVID-19 home, cousin dies

Amazon.com Inc has reportedly been sued for allegedly fostering the spread of coronavirus by mandating unsafe working conditions, causing at least one employee to contract COVID-19, which later led to the death of her cousin. According to an international media outlet, the complaint was filed on June 3 in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, by three employees of the JFK8 fulfilment centre in Staten Island. 

As per reports, the lawsuit said that Amazon has made the JFK8 fulfilment centre, which employs approximately 5,000, a ‘place of danger’ by impeding efforts to stop coronavirus spreading, boosting productivity at the expense of safety. While speaking to the media outlet, one employee, Barbara Chandler, said that she tested positive for coronavirus in March and later saw several household members become sick, including her cousin who died. 

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$800 million spent on COVID-19 safety 

The lawsuit reportedly said that Amazon forces employees to work at dizzying speeds, even if doing so prevents them from socially distancing, washing their hands, and sanitising their workspaces. Amazon, on the other hand, said that the company has always followed guidance from health authorities and its workplace safety experts since the coronavirus pandemic began. According to reports, the company has also spent more than $800 million on coronavirus safety in this year’s first half, including cleaning, temperature checks and face masks. 

The lawsuit reportedly seeks an induction requiring that Amazon comply with worker safety and public nuisance laws, and not punish employees who develop COVID-19 symptoms or are quarantined. The Settle-based company recently has also benefitted as the pandemic forced many consumers unable to visit physical stores to shop online more. An employee told the media outlet that at least 800 workers in the United States distribution centres have tested positive for COVID-19. 

(Image: AP)

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