Readers may be aware that women are afforded certain protections in the workplace when they are pregnant. Under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, there are a variety of things pregnant women are protected from in the workplace, including discrimination in:
- Hiring
- Compensation
- Job duties
- Benefits
- Disability status
Discriminatory activities such as these can have an impact on the woman’s career far into the future, even when she is not longer pregnant. Accordingly, when a woman believes that any of these prohibited acts are taking place, she may be able to take legal action against her employer. Because it can be hard to put one’s finger on whether an activity is in fact pregnancy discrimination, the best way for most to proceed is to contact a lawyer.
Women in this position have even more of a reason to take this course of action when in this situation. This is because the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently issued an update to it enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination. The update is the result of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving a pregnant woman and her employer, UPS, which we wrote about in a previous post.
Specifically, the changes focus on the possibility that a pregnant woman might be able to prove pregnancy discrimination if they are refused accommodations while other workers receive them.
The average person does not stay on top of changes to employment laws or understand them. Fortunately, attorneys who work in the area of employment law do. This means that they could provide the assistance necessary to workers who believe they are the victim of discrimination.