Jan 14, 2025
Denise Briggs Salame’s story is a harsh reminder of how disposable workers can be in America’s ruthless economy. After falling off a ladder and injuring her ankle at an Amazon warehouse, she says she wasn’t just sidelined by her injury — she was let go.
“I was fired for failing to show up to work even while I was out on a medical leave,” she said, holding back tears in a Senator Bernie Sanders YouTube video. “I would definitely like to say that this has ruined my life.”
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Salame’s experience is just one example of the policies that prioritize profit over people at companies like Amazon, and she’s not alone. Her husband says he also lost his job after taking time off to care for her, while injury rates at Amazon warehouses reportedly double the industry average, according to Senator Bernie Sanders.
In 2023, private employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these incidents highlight gaps in employer policies, a lack of awareness about labor rights and the need for structural reforms to better protect workers.
If you or your loved ones are exposed to physical risks at work, here’s what you should know.
Protect yourself
Familiarize yourself with workplace injury laws in your state, including workers' compensation, medical leave policies and protections against wrongful termination.
If you’ve been injured at work, you may be entitled to certain protections or compensation. However, workers’ compensation is primarily administered by state governments and the federal government has no oversight, according to the Department of Labor. That’s why it’s so important to learn the rules that apply in your state.
At the federal level, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to provide workers with unpaid, job-protected leave for medical and family reasons. However, this law doesn’t guarantee immunity from termination. Employers can still fire employees “by showing that the employee would have been fired even if he or she had not taken FMLA leave,” according to Melissa Pesce of the law firm Ogletree Deakins.
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Navigating this complex system can be challenging, so consulting a legal professional may help you understand your rights and obligations after a workplace injury.
In the meantime, there are ways you can help improve the system for all workers.
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Advocate for better labor protections
Across the country, workers are striking back to improve their conditions and strengthen protections. In 2022, the Amazon Labor Union unionized warehouse workers at JFK8 in Staten Island, New York City and joined the Teamsters in 2024.
Workers at the Amazon facility in Garner, North Carolina are set to vote on whether to join a union from February 10 to February 15, according to a post on X by Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity & Empowerment. Workers at Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and Costco have also made moves to unionize in recent years.
The Department of Labor acknowledges that unionization is “not a magic bullet…[but] there is little doubt that it makes a positive difference.” For example, unionized construction sites are 19% less likely to have Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) violations and report 34% fewer violations per OSHA inspection than non-union sites.
Lawmakers like Bernie Sanders view the revival of union membership as a key element in improving working conditions nationwide. “It was the trade union movement that built the middle class in this country, and it is the trade union movement that is going to rebuild the middle class in America once again,” he wrote on his website.
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Vishesh Raisinghani is a financial journalist covering personal finance, investing and the global economy. He's also the founder of Sharpe Ascension Inc., a content marketing agency focused on investment firms. His work has appeared in Moneywise, Yahoo Finance!, Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine and Piggybank.
