Latest news with #systemicDiscrimination
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Disabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination'
Disabled corporate workers at Amazon have accused the company of engaging in 'systemic discrimination', aggressively quashing their attempts to organize, and using artificial intelligence systems that they allege do not comply with US disability laws. At the center of the Amazon workers' complaints are allegations that the company has denied requests for accommodations for disabled staff in an 'automated' or 'semi-automated' way and have allegedly repeatedly removed messages and a petition from an employee Slack channel. Amazon disputes allegations that it discriminates against disabled workers. A 31 May letter sent on behalf of a group of more than 200 disabled workers to top executives, including Amazon's chief executive, Andy Jassy, claimed the company was fundamentally out of step with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 1990 civil rights law that protects people against discrimination based on disabilities. The letter cited policies related to return-to-office mandates, which the letter said were being pushed on disabled workers who previously were allowed to work from home based on medical recommendations, accommodation procedures and accessibility. Among other issues, it raised concerns that employee decisions around accommodation were being driven by AI processes that – one source claimed – do not necessarily follow ADA rules. One disabled corporate employee who had feared retribution for coming forward about workplace complaints told the Guardian they had been fired without explanation over the course of being interviewed for this story. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity while they were in the process of seeking new employment. 'After the removal of the messages on Slack and my firing, others are now afraid. I talk with them and they are terrified about Amazon doing this,' the person said. The employee who was fired was one of the leaders of a campaign to organize disabled workers. An email the person sent to senior Amazon managers on 6 June, which was seen by the Guardian, accused the company of violating federal labor rules that ensure rights to collective bargaining and disability-related rights to share information with others who have a disability. 'My Slack access was removed preventing me from sending updates, coordinating and engaging in [National Labor Relations Act] protected activities,' the person said. The Guardian was also provided screenshots of Slack messages and a petition that appears to have been removed from an Amazon employee Slack channel on disability and accessibility issues. Amazon did not dispute claims that the messages had been removed. The company said the messages were a violation of company policy to use Amazon's electronic systems for solicitation purposes. Amazon did dispute claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to organize on labor issues. A spokesperson said: 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities.' In the 33-page letter to Jassy and other senior Amazon executives, the disabled workers said: 'The systemic discrimination, retaliation, and policy failures documented here not only violate the ADA but also erode trust, harm individual health, and compromise the company's integrity. We demand immediate action to reform these policies, foster a truly inclusive workplace, and uphold the rights of all employees.' The letter cited internal polls conducted by the group of Amazon employees, with 93% of respondents with disabilities claiming that current policies had harmed them. Another 71% of respondents claimed that more than half of their job accommodation requests had been denied or were unmet, and 92% reported a lack of an accessible job accommodation process. 'Employees requesting accommodations often encounter a lack of meaningful dialogue – requests are ignored, denied without explanation, or dismissed via automated systems,' the letter stated. The workers made a public petition to Amazon executives to address their concerns shortly after the email, earlier this month. In response to a request for comment, Amazon said an external survey of what it called a small number of unverified employees was not reflective of the opinions of everyone with a disability and that it was inaccurate to suggest otherwise. The company also said its disability and leave services team ensured that employees had access to accommodations and adjustments and that the decisions were driven by empathy. The process was not automated or semi-automated, Amazon said, and it denied that AI had been used for case processing or decision-making in the accommodation process. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The disabled Amazon workers are overwhelmingly corporate, not warehouse, workers. People who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity were particularly angry about their claims that efforts to organize on Slack – which they said was a modern-day version of the office water cooler – were being denied and suppressed, including by the company allegedly removing posts that sought out workers' opinions. 'The company is cracking down, and they're very concerned, and many people are being told not to post here,' claimed one Amazon employee. Another employee who no longer works at Amazon claimed management had dismissed disabled workers' complaints as being 'disruptive and unproductive', and had undermined the first-ever corporate union collective bargaining group. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that is meant to protect federal worker rights, has recently weighed in on employers suppressing workers' organizing efforts on workplace Slack accounts: in October 2024, the NLRB issued a complaint against Apple, alleging the company was interfering with workers' rights to collectively advocate for improved working conditions on Slack. In a statement at the time, Apple said it disagreed with the claims. The case was indefinitely postponed by the NLRB in March 2025; the reasons for that move are unclear. In 2023, Amazon touted a ranking of 'best place to work for disability inclusion' from a non-profit it funds. But the company has also faced a handful of legal challenges related to its treatment of disabled workers. A 2023 report by United for Respect alleged Amazon's warehouse workers face systemic barriers in obtaining reasonable job accommodations for their disabilities or workplace injuries at the company. A 2024 lawsuit was filed against Amazon for allegedly failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a deaf employee at a warehouse in California. Amazon has denied the claim and the case in still being litigated. Pamela Hayter, a former Amazon employee, accused Amazon in 2023 of retaliating against her for advocating for remote work in response to Amazon's return-to-office mandate. Amazon has claimed she had performance issues. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination'
Disabled corporate workers at Amazon have accused the company of engaging in 'systemic discrimination', aggressively quashing their attempts to organize, and using artificial intelligence systems that they allege do not comply with US disability laws. At the center of the Amazon workers' complaints are allegations that the company has denied requests for accommodations for disabled staff in an 'automated' or 'semi automated' way and have allegedly repeatedly removed messages and a petition from an employee Slack channel. Amazon disputes allegations that it discriminates against disabled workers. A 31 May letter sent on behalf of a group of more than 200 disabled workers to top executives, including Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, claimed the company was fundamentally out of step with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 1990 civil rights law that protects people against discrimination based on disabilities. The letter cited policies related to return-to-office mandates, which the letter said were being pushed on disabled workers who previously were allowed to work from home based on medical recommendations, accommodation procedures and accessibility. Among other issues, it raised concerns that employee decisions around accommodation were being driven by AI processes that – one source claimed – do not necessarily follow ADA rules. One disabled corporate employee who had feared retribution for coming forward about workplace complaints told the Guardian they had been fired without explanation over the course of being interviewed for this story. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity while they were in the process of seeking new employment. 'After the removal of the messages on Slack and my firing, others are now afraid. I talk with them and they are terrified about Amazon doing this,' the person said. The employee who was fired was one of the leaders of a campaign to organize disabled workers. An email the person sent to senior Amazon managers on 6 June, which was seen by the Guardian, accused the company of violating federal labor rules that ensure rights to collective bargaining and disability-related rights to share information with others who have a disability. 'My Slack access was removed preventing me from sending updates, coordinating and engaging in [National Labor Relations Act] protected activities,' the person said. The Guardian was also provided screenshots of Slack messages and a petition that appears to have been removed from an Amazon employee Slack channel on disability and accessibility issues. Amazon did not dispute claims that the messages had been removed. The company said the messages were a violation of company policy to use Amazon's electronic systems for solicitation purposes. Amazon did dispute claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to organize on labor issues. A spokesperson said: 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities.' In the 33-page letter to Jassy and other senior Amazon executives, the disabled workers said: 'The systemic discrimination, retaliation, and policy failures documented here not only violate the ADA but also erode trust, harm individual health, and compromise the company's integrity. We demand immediate action to reform these policies, foster a truly inclusive workplace, and uphold the rights of all employees.' The letter cited internal polls conducted by the group of Amazon employees, with 93% of respondents with disabilities claiming that current policies have harmed them. Another 71% of respondents claimed that more than half of their job accommodation requests had been denied or were unmet, and 92% reported a lack of an accessible job accommodation process. 'Employees requesting accommodations often encounter a lack of meaningful dialogue – requests are ignored, denied without explanation, or dismissed via automated systems,' the letter stated. The workers made a public petition to Amazon executives to address their concerns shortly after the email, earlier this month. In response to a request for comment, Amazon said an external survey of what it called a small number of unverified employees was not reflective of the opinions of everyone with a disability and that it was inaccurate to suggest otherwise. The company also said its disability and leave services team ensured that employees had access to accommodations and adjustments and that the decisions were driven by empathy. The process was not automated or semi-automated, Amazon said, and it denied that AI had been used for case processing or decision-making in the accommodation process. The disabled Amazon workers are overwhelmingly corporate, not warehouse, workers. People who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity were particularly angry about their claims that efforts to organize on Slack – which they said was a modern-day version of the office water cooler – were being denied and suppressed, including by the company allegedly removing posts that sought out workers' opinions. Related: Amazon boss tells staff AI means their jobs are at risk in coming years 'The company is cracking down, and they're very concerned, and many people are being told not to post here,' claimed one Amazon employee. Another employee who no longer works at Amazon claimed management had dismissed disabled workers' complaints as being 'disruptive and unproductive', and had undermined the first-ever corporate union collective bargaining group. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that is meant to protect federal worker rights, has recently weighed in on employers suppressing workers' organizing efforts on workplace Slack accounts: in October 2024, the NLRB issued a complaint against Apple, alleging the company was interfering with workers' rights to collectively advocate for improved working conditions on Slack. In a statement at the time, Apple said it disagreed with the claims. The case was indefinitely postponed by the NLRB in March 2025; the reasons for that move are unclear. In 2023, Amazon touted a ranking of 'best place to work for disability inclusion' from a non-profit it funds. But the company has also faced a handful of legal challenges related to its treatment of disabled workers. A 2023 report by United for Respect alleged Amazon's warehouse workers face systemic barriers in obtaining reasonable job accommodations for their disabilities or workplace injuries at the company. A 2024 lawsuit was filed against Amazon for allegedly failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a deaf employee at a warehouse in California. Amazon has denied the claim and the case in still being litigated. Pamela Hayter, a former Amazon employee, accused Amazon in 2023 of retaliating against her for advocating for remote work in response to Amazon's return-to-office mandate. Amazon has claimed she had performance issues.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Disabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination'
Disabled corporate workers at Amazon have accused the company of engaging in 'systemic discrimination', aggressively quashing their attempts to organize, and using artificial intelligence systems that they allege do not comply with US disability laws. At the center of the Amazon workers' complaints are allegations that the company has denied requests for accommodations for disabled staff in an 'automated' or 'semi automated' way and have allegedly repeatedly removed messages and a petition from an employee Slack channel. Amazon disputes allegations that it discriminates against disabled workers. A 31 May letter sent on behalf of a group of more than 200 disabled workers to top executives, including Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, claimed the company was fundamentally out of step with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 1990 civil rights law that protects people against discrimination based on disabilities. The letter cited policies related to return-to-office mandates, which the letter said were being pushed on disabled workers who previously were allowed to work from home based on medical recommendations, accommodation procedures and accessibility. Among other issues, it raised concerns that employee decisions around accommodation were being driven by AI processes that – one source claimed – do not necessarily follow ADA rules. One disabled corporate employee who had feared retribution for coming forward about workplace complaints told the Guardian they had been fired without explanation over the course of being interviewed for this story. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity while they were in the process of seeking new employment. 'After the removal of the messages on Slack and my firing, others are now afraid. I talk with them and they are terrified about Amazon doing this,' the person said. The employee who was fired was one of the leaders of a campaign to organize disabled workers. An email the person sent to senior Amazon managers on 6 June, which was seen by the Guardian, accused the company of violating federal labor rules that ensure rights to collective bargaining and disability-related rights to share information with others who have a disability. 'My Slack access was removed preventing me from sending updates, coordinating and engaging in [National Labor Relations Act] protected activities,' the person said. The Guardian was also provided screenshots of Slack messages and a petition that appears to have been removed from an Amazon employee Slack channel on disability and accessibility issues. Amazon did not dispute claims that the messages had been removed. The company said the messages were a violation of company policy to use Amazon's electronic systems for solicitation purposes. Amazon did dispute claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to organize on labor issues. A spokesperson said: 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities.' In the 33-page letter to Jassy and other senior Amazon executives, the disabled workers said: 'The systemic discrimination, retaliation, and policy failures documented here not only violate the ADA but also erode trust, harm individual health, and compromise the company's integrity. We demand immediate action to reform these policies, foster a truly inclusive workplace, and uphold the rights of all employees.' The letter cited internal polls conducted by the group of Amazon employees, with 93% of respondents with disabilities claiming that current policies have harmed them. Another 71% of respondents claimed that more than half of their job accommodation requests had been denied or were unmet, and 92% reported a lack of an accessible job accommodation process. 'Employees requesting accommodations often encounter a lack of meaningful dialogue – requests are ignored, denied without explanation, or dismissed via automated systems,' the letter stated. The workers made a public petition to Amazon executives to address their concerns shortly after the email, earlier this month. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion In response to a request for comment, Amazon said an external survey of what it called a small number of unverified employees was not reflective of the opinions of everyone with a disability and that it was inaccurate to suggest otherwise. The company also said its disability and leave services team ensured that employees had access to accommodations and adjustments and that the decisions were driven by empathy. The process was not automated or semi-automated, Amazon said, and it denied that AI had been used for case processing or decision-making in the accommodation process. The disabled Amazon workers are overwhelmingly corporate, not warehouse, workers. People who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity were particularly angry about their claims that efforts to organize on Slack – which they said was a modern-day version of the office water cooler – were being denied and suppressed, including by the company allegedly removing posts that sought out workers' opinions. 'The company is cracking down, and they're very concerned, and many people are being told not to post here,' claimed one Amazon employee. Another employee who no longer works at Amazon claimed management had dismissed disabled workers' complaints as being 'disruptive and unproductive', and had undermined the first-ever corporate union collective bargaining group. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that is meant to protect federal worker rights, has recently weighed in on employers suppressing workers' organizing efforts on workplace Slack accounts: in October 2024, the NLRB issued a complaint against Apple, alleging the company was interfering with workers' rights to collectively advocate for improved working conditions on Slack. In a statement at the time, Apple said it disagreed with the claims. The case was indefinitely postponed by the NLRB in March 2025; the reasons for that move are unclear. In 2023, Amazon touted a ranking of 'best place to work for disability inclusion' from a non-profit it funds. But the company has also faced a handful of legal challenges related to its treatment of disabled workers. A 2023 report by United for Respect alleged Amazon's warehouse workers face systemic barriers in obtaining reasonable job accommodations for their disabilities or workplace injuries at the company. A 2024 lawsuit was filed against Amazon for allegedly failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a deaf employee at a warehouse in California. Amazon has denied the claim and the case in still being litigated. Pamela Hayter, a former Amazon employee, accused Amazon in 2023 of retaliating against her for advocating for remote work in response to Amazon's return-to-office mandate. Amazon has claimed she had performance issues.
National Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Jamie Sarkonak: Looks like the courts aren't actually systemically racist
Article content But overall, the study showed that the creeping evil of systemic discrimination that has allegedly corrupted the justice system (and, really, all of Canada) isn't actually there. Yes, it's true that Indigenous people are overrepresented in the justice system, but that's just a function of that population being charged with more crimes. Accounting for offence severity, they're guilty at just the same rate as the privileged whites. And, on a number of metrics, they receive gentler outcomes, as well: stayed charges, shorter prison terms, house arrest. Article content There's even room to suggest white people are treated with more punitive force: the study found that half of Indigenous offenders had five or more prior convictions, compared to one-quarter of white offenders. 'This finding is important,' the authors noted, 'because evidence suggests that accused with more prior convictions are more likely to be reconvicted.' If that's the case, and both groups were found guilty at equal rates (when accounting for severity), one could infer that the criminal history of white offenders is taken into greater consideration. Article content Then, there's the fact that white offenders were given more long-term sentences, and were less likely to get house arrest. That tracks with the aggressive nudging the federal government has been giving the courts regarding Indigenous offenders: lower jail sentences and more house arrest. The federal prosecution deskbook even tells Crown prosecutors to seek lighter sentences for Indigenous offenders. Heck, it's the law: the Supreme Court has required judges to consider race-based discounts for Indigenous people since the 1999 decision of R v. Gladue. Article content White offenders did indeed have a higher acquittal rate, which could be attributed by some to anti-Indigenous racism by the courts — but it could also be a result of more white accused persons being taken all the way to trial. If weaker cases against Indigenous people are being habitually dropped, but the same isn't being done for white offenders, you'd likely see relatively more white acquittals. Indeed, federal prosecution guidelines instruct Crowns to consider Indigenous identity and 'the impact of systemic racism' in deciding whether to drop charges. Article content Article content Another explanation for the relatively higher jail rate for Indigenous offenders could be their greater likelihood to commit 'administration of justice offences' — these include charges for not showing up to court, as well as breaches of bail and probation conditions. These offences theoretically come with a greater likelihood of jail, because the offender has demonstrated trouble following court orders while out in the community. So, if a group was committing them at greater rates, one would expect that group to end up in jail at greater rates. Which is exactly what was found. Article content There are still plenty of unknowns in the data, but what is certain is that we don't have definitive proof of a systemically racist justice system. Liberals will point to the demographics of the prison population as a sign of Canada's sins, but any further perusal of the data shows that the system isn't, in fact, tilted in all ways against Indigenous people. Article content And yet, the Liberal government is almost certain to carry on with the Trudeauvian crusade against 'systemic racism,' which involves doling out vast sums to Indigenous groups and assisting them in setting up a parallel justice system, a 'decarceration strategic framework' and all sorts of other racially-restricted programs that erode the notion of equality in Canada. Evidence-based policy, indeed. Article content
Forbes
09-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Tina Knowles On Black Motherhood As Leadership, Legacy, And Economic Power
New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a troubling trend: unemployment among Black workers is on the rise, particularly for Black women. In April 2024, the jobless rate for Black women climbed to 6.1%, up from 5.1% in March, a full percentage point increase in just one month. By comparison, unemployment rates for other groups remained steady at 3.3% for White women and 4.6% for Hispanic women. This disparity reflects deeper, systemic barriers Black women continue to face in the labor market. Unlike Black women, other demographic groups are less likely to encounter the compounded effects of both racial and gender discrimination, a key issue behind the widening gap in job security. These inequities don't end at the workplace. They extend into the home, where caregiving responsibilities, often unrecognized and unpaid, diminish long-term financial security. According to multiple economic studies, caregiving mothers can lose nearly $300,000 in lifetime earnings due to these systemic burdens. That figure, while staggering, only begins to capture the emotional, cultural, and entrepreneurial contributions Black mothers make daily. Their paid and unpaid labor has sustained families, fueled communities, and shaped industries. Black motherhood is frequently framed through narratives of sacrifice. However, Black women are increasingly reframing it as a strategy, an act of legacy-building and leadership. Despite economic headwinds, many Black mothers have transformed necessity into innovation, creating impact far beyond the home. One such figure is Tina Knowles. In our second conversation (and just before Mother's Day), Knowles spoke about the personal and professional experiences that shaped her new memoir, Matriarch. Through stories of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and healing, she offered a portrait of resilience and reinvention that positions Black motherhood as both powerful and strategic. Christine Michel Carter: In Matriarch, you write about doing hair to support your family and making costumes late into the night as labors of love that helped build your family's legacy. How did you view those moments at the time? Were they acts of necessity, opportunity, or both? Tina Knowles: Every career change I've had has been completely organic and came from a place of seeing it as an opportunity. And I think those are two different things, one doing hair to help support my family's dream was something that I did out of necessity. Making the costumes, on the other hand, was a great career change opportunity for me, so personally, I don't know that I would need to reframe it. Carter: From launching your salon to founding House of Deréon, you've made entrepreneurship a family legacy. How did business ownership shape your identity as a mother, and how did motherhood shape your identity as a businesswoman? Knowles: Entrepreneurship shaped me as a mother by giving me confidence and the knowledge that I could financially care for my children. Being a mother motivated me to be successful… to leave a legacy for them, setting an example of a strong work ethic. Carter: Caregiving mothers lose nearly $300,000 in lifetime earnings due to systemic inequities and caregiving responsibilities. What conversations should Black families have about financial independence, legacy planning, and generational wealth, especially for mothers? Knowles: It's really important that you spend the time to learn about financial planning. I remember being very young and just having my first child when my friend who became a financial planner educated me on the things that I needed to do to create financial security for my children… like a college fund, making a will, insurance annuities for retirement, emergency funds and those are all things that we should learn about and do. It doesn't cost that much, and it comes in handy once they grow up and decide to go to college or pursue other career opportunities. I even encouraged that friend to write a book called "Real Lives, Real Money," a simple guide to financial planning and generational wealth. Carter: Black women are overrepresented in roles with low pay, minimal leave, and little flexibility, often limiting advancement. Based on your experience navigating both creative and corporate spaces, how can Black mothers remain visible, promotable, and empowered in systems not built for them? Knowles: Black mothers have to be conscious of taking space for themselves, being more vocal about their contributions, and not feeling like it's okay not to be recognized or seen. Overall, there must be unity among Black women, and we must be more deliberate in supporting each other. There is power in numbers. Carter: You shared your breast cancer journey with incredible transparency. For many Black women, 'being strong' becomes a survival mode. How do you balance grace with grit, and what does healing look like when strength is expected but rest is required? Knowles: In my journey of healing, I had to learn that 'no' is a complete sentence. It was an important realization that I had to focus on self-care and take the rest I required to heal and not feel guilty about it.
