California Fines Amazon For Concealing COVID Cases

Just in via press release:

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a first-of-its-kind stipulated judgment requiring Amazon to end harmful labor practices that concealed COVID-19 case numbers from workers and to provide key information on workplace protections in line with California’s “right-to-know” law, Assembly Bill 685 (AB 685) authored by Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes.

Throughout the pandemic, Amazon, as asserted in the complaint, failed to adequately notify warehouse workers and local health agencies of COVID-19 case numbers, often leaving them in the dark and unable to effectively track the spread of the virus.

As part of the stipulated judgment, Amazon will modify its COVID-19 notifications to workers and local health agencies, submit to monitoring regarding its COVID-19 notifications, and pay $500,000 toward further enforcement of California’s consumer protection laws.

The judgment announced today, which is subject to court approval, arrives at a crucial time for workers as Amazon’s peak holiday season approaches. Specifically, the judgment requires that Amazon update COVID-19 notification policies and take specific actions to help protect workers.

Califoria’s attorney general said Amazon conceals COVID-19 case numbers from its workers, and ordered the company to pay $500,000 toward better enforcement of state consumer protection laws. @suhaunah reports: https://t.co/0zLFotwag5

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 15, 2021