When you are hired to work a job, you don’t expect to deal with issues related to your age, race, gender or similar things. After all, discrimination based on these things is illegal.
However, what about if you are pregnant? Can an employer, manager or even co-worker treat you unfavorably due to pregnancy? This type of discrimination is also illegal in the workplace; if you are a victim, you have legal options.
What does the law say?
The PDA (Pregnancy Discrimination Act) makes discrimination based on pregnancy illegal. This means employers cannot base any part of your employment on the fact that you are pregnant.
Temporary disability and pregnancy discrimination
If a woman cannot do her job for a certain amount of time because of a medical condition caused by pregnancy, her employer is required to treat her the same as other temporarily disabled employees are treated.
This means providing alternative or light duty work tasks, unpaid leave or disability leave. Whatever options are provided to temporarily disabled employees apply to pregnant women who are temporarily disabled.
Also, any impairments caused by pregnancy may be considered disabilities based on the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). If this happens, employers must provide reasonable accommodations for the disability caused by the pregnancy as long as it doesn’t cause undue hardship to the company.
Discrimination and harassment against pregnant women
It’s also illegal for a woman to be harassed because of pregnancy. Not only is harassment illegal, but it can also create a hostile work environment, which is bad for all employees and the business.
Your rights if you were a victim of pregnancy discrimination
You have rights if you can prove you were a victim of pregnancy discrimination. One right is to hold your employer responsible for their actions and recover fair compensation for your losses.
