Amazon Workers Allege Inadequate Injury Care and Pressure to Return to Work
Amazon, one of the world's largest employers, is confronting renewed and intense scrutiny over its workplace safety record and how it treats injured employees. Multiple workers and labor advocates have come forward with allegations that the company's in-house first aid unit, known as AmCare, often provides minimal care like ice packs or water while discouraging proper medical treatment to keep injury reports low.
"Get Back to Work" Allegations and Fatal Incidents
The controversy gained momentum following tragic incidents at Amazon facilities. In September 2019, 48-year-old worker Billy Foister died from a heart attack inside a warehouse, with managers allegedly telling staff to "get back to work." More recently, another worker died at a distribution center in Troutdale, Oregon, with Amazon stating the collapse was due to an "existing medical issue" and denying reports that nearby employees were told to resume work.
As the Trump administration continues to reshape federal oversight of workplace safety through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), concerns persist about Amazon's injury rates and treatment protocols. The company maintains that employee safety is its top priority, yet it faces ongoing questions about its handling and reporting of workplace injuries.
Internal Documents Reveal Focus on Minimizing Medical Referrals
A training PowerPoint document obtained by the Guardian, dated August 2022, outlines "best practices" for AmCare. It includes slides on how to "maximize AMCARE Utilization," defined as the percentage of employees who pass through without needing to see a workers' compensation doctor. The presentation advises on preventing "day 1 send outs," where workers bypass AmCare to see a doctor first, and states that AmCare "CAN NOT send any one home or excuse time." It further instructs staff not to recommend rest for injuries, instead urging workers to "report to amcare and receive treatment early."
Amazon has disputed this document, with spokesperson Sam Stephenson noting it is "several years old, doesn't reflect the priorities or policies of our Global Medical Health team, and was never approved for use." He added that the company has over a million employees who sometimes create documents that are never implemented.
Worker Lawsuit Highlights Alleged Retaliation and Inadequate Care
A lawsuit filed in March details the case of Juan Loera-Gomez, a 46-year-old worker at an Amazon sortation center in San Bernardino, California. In October 2024, Loera-Gomez was assigned to work alone in an area typically staffed by at least three people, where he spent hours handling boxes weighing over 50 pounds. He claims this led to a "life-altering workplace injury to his back and shoulders."
After reporting the injury, Loera-Gomez alleges he was told to keep working. He was later placed on light duty and diagnosed with several strains, sprains, and lumbosacral disc disease. During his recovery, he participated in organizing efforts for better safety conditions. In May 2025, he was informed that Amazon could no longer accommodate his work restrictions, leading to unpaid leave and eventual termination in January via a single email.
"They accommodated my work restrictions after my injury at first, but then suddenly forced me out on unpaid leave, even though I was still able to work," Loera-Gomez said. "What Amazon did was very hard on my family. We depended on my job to pay for our house, food and monthly expenses for my children."
Stephenson responded that "many of these claims appear to be false or misrepresent Amazon policies," expressing confidence this would be proven in court.
AmCare Described as Ineffective by Current Employee
A colleague of Loera-Gomez at the same facility, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, compared AmCare to a school nurse, stating, "They only give you an ice pack or water. You can't get adequate help at AmCare. My experience at AmCare, they'll try to keep you there for the longest time because they want you to go back to work, they will do everything in their power to not let you go home."
The worker further alleged that AmCare delays logging injury reports until it is clear a worker cannot return, suggesting this is done to maintain low injury rates. Amazon denied these allegations, with Stephenson asserting, "This is false. Ensuring our employees have access to onsite first-aid and to their care of choice is incredibly important to us because the safety of our team and our partners is our top priority."
Pattern of Lawsuits and Injury Rate Concerns
Attorney Lauren Teukolsky, representing Loera-Gomez, stated, "This isn't an isolated incident. It looks to me there's a pretty clear pattern of this occurring in Amazon warehouses." Other recent cases include Lashone Brown in Las Vegas, who filed a lawsuit in February alleging he was fired while recovering from work-related hernias, and a trial in California over heat conditions in warehouses, which began in January 2026.
Amazon's injury rates have been a focal point for years. In 2019, the company's serious injury rate reported to OSHA was 7.7 per 100 employees, nearly double the industry average. Amazon now uses 2019 as a benchmark to highlight safety progress, citing a 43% reduction in its global recordable incident rate since then. However, rates remain above warehouse industry averages.
In 2021, founder Jeff Bezos pledged to make Amazon "Earth's safest place to work," with a goal to cut injury rates in half by 2025. By its own numbers, the company reported a US recordable incident rate of 7.6 in 2021 and 5 in 2025, indicating it fell short of its target. A 2024 report by the Strategic Organizing Center found that Amazon employed 39% of US warehouse workers but accounted for 56% of all serious injuries in the industry.
Federal Oversight and Political Dynamics
OSHA launched its first multisite investigation in over a decade into Amazon's warehouse conditions. In December 2024, during the transition to the Trump administration, OSHA and Amazon reached a settlement to resolve multiple hazardous working conditions cases, involving ongoing meetings and assessments. A former OSHA official noted that Bezos's decision to block the Washington Post from endorsing Kamala Harris was a consideration in the settlement, which aimed to address musculoskeletal disorders.
Under the Trump administration, OSHA conducted 20% fewer inspections from April to September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, and workplace health and safety penalties dropped by 45%. Amazon's political donations have shifted, with $1 million donated to Trump's inaugural fund before his return to office, compared to smaller amounts in previous years. Stephenson commented, "We've been a company across five administrations and we always try to have a collaborative relationship with each administration and policymakers of all levels of government."
The settlement did not affect a Department of Justice investigation that began under the Biden administration, though its status under Trump remains unclear. As Amazon continues to defend its safety record, workers and advocates emphasize the need for systemic changes to protect employee well-being in the rapidly expanding e-commerce sector.
