Pregnancy discrimination occurs when a pregnant employee or job applicant is treated unfairly because of her pregnancy. Pregnancy discrimination is frequently based on the stereotype that pregnant women will not return to work after having a child, or on the belief that pregnant women are less capable than other employees.

 

Examples of illegal discrimination include:

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• Refusing to hire a woman because she is pregnant.

• Terminating an employee after discovering she is pregnant.

• Refusing to give a pay raise or promotion to a pregnant employee.

• Deferring a pay increase until a pregnant employee returns to work after giving birth.

• A pregnant employee is assigned to a less desirable shift or a less visible position.

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Employers may make comments or engage in other behaviors that, on their own, demonstrate pregnancy discrimination. Making disparaging remarks about pregnant employees or stereotyping pregnant employees are examples of this. In other cases, discrimination is inferred from the circumstances or timing of events, such as when an employer treats a pregnant employee less favorably than a comparable employee who is not pregnant, or when an employer begins to treat an employee differently after learning she is pregnant.

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¿Can I Request Special Accommodations While Pregnant?

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Yes, Employers must make reasonable accommodations for a pregnant employee at her request, in accordance with the advice she receives from her doctor, to allow her to perform her job duties while pregnant or suffering from a related medical condition. Employers may be required to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees, such as reducing the amount of weight an employee is required to lift, providing extra bathroom breaks, or transferring to a less strenuous position.