New England Biz Law Update
Amazon is facing a lawsuit from a former manager who says the company approved his intermittent leave to care for his ill wife but failed to apply that leave correctly to his attendance record.
The former employee claims those errors caused his account to show a negative time balance and led Amazon to terminate him through an automated email. His lawsuit alleges interference and retaliation under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The complaint was filed on July 17, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Approved leave, but negative hours remained
The employee began working for Amazon in 2022 and was serving as a process assistant manager when his wife developed serious kidney, liver, and thyroid-related medical conditions in November 2025.
According to the complaint, he began missing work or arriving late so he could care for his wife and accompany her to medical appointments. He notified his employer of his need for leave and submitted supporting paperwork.
Amazon approved his FMLA leave in February 2026 and retroactively adjusted some timekeeping. The initial approval allowed him to miss two days per month and arrive up to two hours late when needed. The leave was later expanded to four days per month.
The employee claims Amazon nevertheless continued counting some of the missed time against him. The company’s time tracking tool showed a negative time balance against him, which he says resulted from the failure to connect approved or partially approved leave with the related absences.
The employer claims he repeatedly contacted HR and management to have the balance corrected. An HR representative allegedly told him he could not be terminated while his FMLA case remained open.
But the employee was terminated via an automated email stating that he had a negative time balance, according to the lawsuit.
Internal appeal allegedly missed key records
The employee appealed the termination and claims he submitted FMLA paperwork, emails, and information about his previous communications with Amazon.
The complaint alleges that the manager reviewing the appeal did not examine those records. The employee was reportedly told that Amazon would either reinstate him or provide a detailed explanation for upholding the termination.
He says he received neither. The employer later allegedly informed him that the termination would stand and that he could reapply for a lower-level position after three months.
The plaintiff is seeking back pay, front pay, lost benefits, liquidated damages and attorneys’ fees.
What employers should take from the case
The lawsuit is a reminder that approving leave is only one part of FMLA compliance. Employers must also make sure approved intermittent leave is correctly reflected in timekeeping, attendance, and disciplinary systems.
Before taking action based on attendance points or negative time balances, employers should check for approved, pending, or recently updated leave requests. Cases involving automated termination decisions may require a manual review to confirm that protected time has not been counted against the employee. Internal appeals should also include a meaningful review of the available records.
