The lawsuit filed in June was at the New Jersey Superior Court. Pascal Rossignol/Reuters
An ex-Amazon warehouse worker claimed she was fired for taking too many bathroom breaks.
Maria Iris Jennitte Olivero filed suit, claiming she was suffering from irritable stool syndrome.
Olivero alleged that her manager fired her before she could obtain a doctor's order.
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Amazon employee claimed she suffered from irritable bowel syndrome and was fired by the company after she used too many restroom breaks.
Maria Iris Jennitte Olivero filed a lawsuit in June at the New Jersey Superior Court seeking damages. Amazon replied in the US District Court earlier this month, trying to escalate the matter to federal court.
Amazon and Olivero's lawyer didn't respond when asked.
Olivero filed in New Jersey with a timeline detailing her employment at the company. She began in July 2020.
According to the filing, she disclosed to a manager about her IBS in November. She said that she had to go to the toilet at least six times per day and that the manager advised her to get a doctor’s note. According to the filing, Olivero did not receive the note.
Olivero stated in the filing that her manager had told her in January that she would be written up and that she would need to have a doctor's note within five working days. According to her complaint, the first appointment she had at her doctor was six weeks later.
According to her complaint, she was fired five days after being written up.
"At that point, [Olivero] received a message from [her manager] stating that it was too late to provide a doctor’s note and that she would be terminated by the Defendants." The complaint stated.
She is suing the company for discriminating in her hiring and failing to accommodate under New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination.
Olivero did not specify how much she would seek in damages in her lawsuit. Amazon stated that she was likely to seek more than $75,000 and therefore moved the case to federal courts.
Continue the story
The company detailed Olivero's wages as part of its argument for moving the case to federal court.
Plaintiff earned $15.25 an hour or $31,720.00 annually. He also received a $0.60 shift differential or $1,248.00 annually. According to the lawyers of the company, the plaintiff's gross lost wages as of the date of the filing are $17,251.75."
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