Jeff Bezos has been sued by a former housekeeper on grounds that she faced racial discrimination at the hands of his staff and was forced to work long hours, Bloomberg reported. Mercedes Wedaa, who joined the staff in September 2019, said in her complaint that the working condition were unsanitary and she continued to work without rest or meal breaks.
She filed the complaint Tuesday in Seattle state court which says that she sometimes worked 10 to 14 hours a day and supervised a team of five to six housekeepers. She further alleged that the staff did not have a designated break room and used to eat in the laundry room. They weren’t allowed to use the bathroom in the nearby security room and had to claim out a window to use one.
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Wedaa, reportedly, was also subjected to “aggressive and abusive” behaviour by one of Bezos’s household managers. The manager treated her and other Hispanic employees differently than Bezos’s White groundskeepers and maintenance staff, she alleged.
Her services were terminated after nearly three years of working there, according to the complaint.
“Labour and employment laws say working people must be paid for the work they perform, and must be able to to perform that work in a safe, sanitary and healthy workplace,” said Patrick McGuigan, a lawyer representing Wedaa.
Meanwhile, Bezos’s attorney has trashed all such claims, saying they hold no merit. Wedaa is seeking back pay and benefits, as well as monetary damages, according to the complaint.
(With inputs from agencies)
