A Sacramento warehouse worker’s lawsuit highlights broader claims that the retail giant pressures warehouse employees who seek accommodations to return to work.
Chase Nelson alleges that he was assigned duties that went beyond medical restrictions after he suffered a back injury while working as a “picker” at a warehouse facility in Sacramento. A doctor had restricted him to lifting no more than 50-60 lbs at a time, according to court filings.
The company moved Nelson from a picking role to a less strenuous position in the receiving department. But managers had Nelson “running totes,” returning items to restocking in carts that could weigh 50 lbs or more when full. When he complained, Nelson said a supervisor accused him of “faking” his injury.
Nelson was fired amid a back-and-forth process in which doctors submitted new letters on his physical restrictions, and he was moved to different positions in the warehouse, a judge said. The company accused Nelson of “stealing time” by marking down time worked while he was not in the building.
The case, which is slated for trial, highlights the physically demanding nature of many warehouse jobs in California and across the country. It adds to complaints that the company plays hardball with injured workers seeking accommodations, allegedly nudging them to choose between their jobs and their health and safety.
At Justice Law Corporation, our California discrimination lawyers help working people fight back against a wide range of unlawful employer conduct. That includes taking on employers who refuse to grant reasonable accommodations to workers with disabilities or retaliate against those who seek them. We are seasoned employment attorneys who have dedicated our professional lives to these cases and have a significant track record of success.
Here is what you need to know about your rights at work.
The Legal Right to Reasonable Accommodations at Work
California and federal laws give workers the right to seek reasonable accommodations for medical conditions or injuries. It covers a wide range of workers, from those who are pregnant or limited by temporary injuries to employees with long-term disabilities.
A reasonable accommodation is a change to your work duties, schedule, or environment that helps you continue working without undue hardship for your employer. Some of the most common include:
- Light work
- Seating
- Schedule adjustments
- Frequent rest breaks
- Lifting restrictions
- Remote work
- Temporary job transfer
- Lactation accommodations
These and other accommodations are reasonable if they do not cause undue hardship on an employer. Minor inconveniences, temporary costs, and administrative adjustments are not enough to justify denying accommodations.
Employers are not required to grant each and every accommodation request, but they are legally obligated to engage in a good-faith interactive process. Employers must consider the accommodation request and explore alternative arrangements that may satisfy the needs of the worker and the employer.
The laws also ban retaliation against workers who seek reasonable accommodations. This is a key protection that ensures employees can exercise their rights without fear of being fired, demoted, or otherwise punished.
Worker Health and Safety Concerns at Fulfillment Centers
Huge retail fulfillment centers promise to get people just about anything they need, and probably lots of things they do not need, as fast as possible.
To keep this promise, the company runs a vast network of warehouses and fulfillment centers across the country. Such companies operate these facilities under strict standards, requiring workers to meet quotas and closely tracking their movements on the job. This approach has prompted a wide range of complaints about workers’ rights and health and safety protections on the job.
The US Labor Department has issued a string of citations against one particular warehouse facility, finding the company has not done enough to keep workers safe on the job in facilities in Colorado, New York, Florida, Illinois, and Idaho, for example. The Labor Department in 2022 and 2023 found “the facility exposed warehouse workers to a high risk of low back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders.”
At the same time, warehouse workers accuse the company of shirking its responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations. “Across the country, warehouse associates with disabilities face multiple hurdles in receiving the type of reasonable accommodations that would allow them to perform their jobs safely and successfully,” according to United for Respect, a workers’ rights organization.
In Nelson’s case, he alleges that he was routinely told to haul carts heavier than the lifting restrictions imposed by his doctor after Nelson was injured on the job. He said a manager accused him of faking his injury in response.
“He would say, you guys need to step up, and pretty much, do your job,” Nelson recalled in sworn testimony. “And we were – everybody in that area was also dealing with medical injuries.”
The retailer has been fighting the case in court for nearly two years now. The company recently convinced a judge that it did not unlawfully retaliate against Nelson by firing him for allegedly making false statements about his hours worked. That said, the judge ruled that Nelson’s claims that the company violated his reasonable accommodation rights should continue to trial.
Nelson is not alone. Warehouse workers in other states have also filed lawsuits, alleging that their employers generally refuse to fully cooperate with reasonable accommodation requests and take punitive action against those who speak up.
Our California Discrimination Lawyers Can Help
If you believe that you are being discriminated against or ripped off on the job, whether it is by being denied reasonable accommodations or in other terms and conditions, you do not need to go it alone.
A California discrimination lawyer at Justice Law Corporation can help you evaluate your claim and understand your rights and options. We have a strong track record of optimal results through verdicts and settlements for the people that we represent. Contact us at (818) 230-7502 to schedule a free consultation with a California discrimination lawyer.
