Franklin County Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include pregnancy as a protected class. Under this law, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against pregnant women, mothers, and women who could become mothers in any way. Additionally, employers covered by the act must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees when they are asked to do so. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations is an act of pregnancy discrimination.

Pregnancy Discrimination Examples

Some types of pregnancy discrimination are overt. Others are subtle. Examples of discrimination pregnant women can face in the workplace include:

• Being denied the short-term disability leave the company provides to other employees with injuries or illnesses that create similar physical limits to pregnancy;
• Being subjected to harassment, such as rude remarks and invasive questions. This includes harassment meant to drive the woman to resign from her position so the company does not have to continue to pay her health benefits;
• Denying the woman her right to 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave when her child is born;
• Refusing to hire or promote a pregnant woman;
• Firing the employee after she announces her pregnancy;
• Refusing to provide the reasonable accommodations a pregnant employee requests; and
• Requiring a pregnant employee to take leave at a specific point in her pregnancy.

Seeking Reasonable Accommodations During your Pregnancy

You have the right to seek reasonable accommodations during your pregnancy, such as:

• Adaptations to the dress code to allow you to wear maternity clothing and comfortable shoes;
• A flexible schedule that allows you to attend doctor appointments and to come in late or work remotely when you are physically ill from the pregnancy;
• A stool or chair to sit on if your position normally requires you to stand during your shift; and
• Altering your job duties to eliminate heavy lifting.

What to Do if you Face Pregnancy Discrimination

Document everything. This includes dated notes of face-to-face interactions where you are harassed or subjected to disparate treatment because of your pregnancy, like being excluded from a professional development opportunity or being passed over for a promotion. Bring your documentation to the company’s Human Resources department to rectify the situation.

If Human Resources cannot correct the problem, contact an experienced employment lawyer to discuss pursuing compensation for your related damages through a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The documentation you gathered to show Human Resources the treatment you faced is the evidence you can use to support your claim.

Work with an Experienced Franklin County Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

When you face pregnancy discrimination in your workplace, stand up for yourself and any other pregnant women who will work at the company in the future by filing a pregnancy discrimination claim. Contact our team of employment lawyers at Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC today to set up your legal consultation in our office to discuss your rights and your legal options further.