A housekeeper who says she worked for nearly three years at Jeff Bezos’ Seattle-area home claims she was subjected to racial discrimination and retaliation from members of his personal staff, wasn’t able to take legally required breaks, and didn’t have adequate access to a bathroom on the job.
The claims are part of a suit filed on behalf of housekeeper Mercedes Wedaa against Bezos and two entities through which the Amazon founder manages his personal investments and properties, Zefram LLC and Northwestern LLC.
Among the allegations: housekeepers were forced to regularly climb out a laundry room window, running along an exterior path and through a mechanical room to access a bathroom used by groundskeepers, because they weren’t allowed to enter the main home when the Bezos family was there, except to clean.
Wedaa worked previously at the Seattle-area residence of the late Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, who offered dedicated staff quarters for breaks, with readily accessible bathrooms, and “even provided food for the housekeepers and other employees,” according to the suit.
In contrast, the suit alleges, there was no designated breakroom for housekeepers at the Bezos home. Wedaa would often work for 10-12 hours without breaks to rest or eat lunch, according to the lawsuit. The suit claims that she and other housekeepers developed urinary tract infections as a result.
www.geekwire.com/2022/housekeeper-sues-jeff-bezos-over-working-conditions-at-amazon-founders-home/