Amazon's HR system automatically initiated termination proceedings against employees on sick leave or unable to work due to illness.

Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology company's HR system fired employees even when they had properly informed the company of their condition and received approval for medical leave.

The company's HR processes are highly automated, with little human intervention, with the automation extending to productivity tracking and termination decisions, where it generates warnings or terminations regarding quality or productivity without human oversight.

Employees complained that were owed back pay for time spent on sick leave or in quarantine, and that they were being scheduled for shifts while sick. Others said that had been denied leave altogether.

At one facility, "hundreds" of employees were fired between August 2017 and September 2018 for failing to meet productivity quotas. 

Amazon's automated approach to HR management was seen not to adequately account for legally protected absences, such as those covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and could lead to unfair treatment of employees with legitimate health issues or family care responsibilities.