Amazon Employment Lawyer for Wrongful Termination, Forced Resignation, & Discrimination. The Pivot Plan is an “out management” tool for Amazon.
One out of every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee.[1] As the company has continued to experience widespread growth, it has also faced litigation related to employment issues, including (but not limited to):
- Employment Discrimination
- Forced Resignations
- Wrongful Terminations
Were you offered an Amazon Pivot Plan or forced to resign? Did the company offer you a lump sum payment to leave your position, or were you unjustly terminated? If you or a loved one were the targets of illegal and unscrupulous employment practices while working for Amazon, you may have a right to significant compensation.
Call Teller Law today to schedule a free review to learn how I can tenaciously fight to protect your rights and livelihood.
What is the Amazon Pivot Plan Program?
In 2017, Amazon launched Amazon Pivot, an employment program allegedly designed to encourage employee retention. Under Pivot, underperforming employees have three options:
- Quit and accept a severance package; or
- Attain performance goals set by a manager over several months; and if they fail the plan
- Engage in a videoconference with a panel of peers to determine whether they should remain in the retention program. Much like a court hearing, an employee and his or her manager present arguments to a manager or a panel, which ultimately decides the outcome.
Unfortunately, the Amazon Pivot Plan has been weaponized, making it a means for the company to accumulate legal documentation for employment termination rather than actually help employees improve their performance. It also distributes management’s unlawful motivation, which is the real factor behind many allegedly poor-performing Amazon workers. Not only are race and national origin discrimination, age, and disability a factor, but commonly when a worker’s family needs them (e.g., paternity leave, sick parent or child) or they are suffering from the stress of working at Amazon (e.g., depression and anxiety) Amazon pushes workers out the door with the Pivot program.
What About My RSUs and Shares That Are About to Vest?
I can often help find a way to help you get to near-term share vesting dates. If they are too far away, it is unlikely we can reach them, but I have had many people remain employed until the next vesting date even when it is outside the Pivot time period by weeks or sometimes longer. Give me a call to discuss the options. I provide a free quick review when you call, and can set up a consultation if it sounds like I can help.
What Should I Do If I Was Forced to Resign or Participate in the Amazon Pivot Plan?
If you were forced to resign or participate in Amazon’s Pivot Plan, I encourage you to call my office immediately to schedule a free review or a full consultation to learn about your legal options for pursuing justice and maximum compensation for your losses. I will screen or review your case for free and help you decide if I can offer value with an extended consultation.
Under the Civil Rights Act, employers cannot treat employees differently based on their membership in a protected class. Simply stated, this means that an employer cannot force an individual to resign based on any of the following:
- Age (40 or older)
- Disability
- Sex, Gender, Gender Identity
- National origin
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual preference or orientation
- Veteran status
- Serious medical condition of self or family (e.g., FMLA)
- And other protected classes
If you or a loved one was forced to resign from Amazon based upon membership in one of these protected classes, the company likely engaged in discriminatory termination prohibited under state or federal law. However, such cases can be challenging to prove, as most employers that violate Civil Rights laws do not normally openly do so; instead, they justify their actions under the guise of another reason. The Pivot program is a tool Amazon uses to protect itself from discrimination claims. We can help.
Does My Employer Need a Valid Reason to Fire Me in Washington?
Washington is an at-will employment state, meaning that a company can fire an employee at any time, for any or no reason, as long as they are not violating state or federal employee protection laws. However, this begs the question: what actions violate such laws?
Wrongful termination can happen under the following circumstances:
- Termination in retaliation for filing a worker’s compensation claim;
- Termination in retaliation for seeking unpaid wages or overtime;
- Termination in response to whistleblowing;
- Termination based on age, disability, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected status;
- Termination that violates an employment contract; or
- Termination that violates public policy.
As an Amazon employment attorney with decades of legal experience, I understand how emotionally draining and stressful employment discrimination and termination can be for a worker and their family. For this reason, I am determined to help navigate through challenging employment issues, tenaciously fighting for worker’s rights and full and fair compensation.
How Can a Seattle Amazon Employment Attorney Help Me?
As a Seattle employment attorney, I have negotiated and litigated countless discrimination and wrongful termination cases against employers, and have a lot of recent specific experience with Amazon. Depending on the facts of a case, I may be able to help pursue:
- Compensation for lost wages;
- Reinstatement of a former position;
- Compensation for backpay (if an individual was demoted or disciplined, resulting in decreased income);
- Compensation for benefits (e.g., Amazon stock options or RSUs, health insurance, etc.);
- A positive employment reference;
- Payment for training and/or education to acquire other employment;
- Release or waiver of a non-compete agreement; and
- An agreement that Amazon will not dispute unemployment benefits.
Contact Teller Law to Schedule a Consultation with Experienced Amazon Employment Attorney Steve Teller.
If you or a loved one took part in the Amazon Pivot Plan, was forced to resign, or was wrongfully terminated, I invite you to call my office to schedule a free case evaluation. I can listen to the facts of your case, explain your legal options, and zealously advocate on your behalf for the full compensation to which you and your family are rightfully entitled.
[1] 1 out of every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-number-1-of-153-us-workers-head-count-2021-7.