Are You a Victim of Pregnancy Discrimination?

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), pregnancy discrimination is defined as: treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. It is illegal to discriminate against a woman in the workplace because of pregnancy, whether in the form of: refusing to

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), pregnancy discrimination is defined as:

treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.

It is illegal to discriminate against a woman in the workplace because of pregnancy, whether in the form of:

• refusing to hire a woman because she is pregnant
• firing a woman because she is pregnant
• reducing her pay, or
• otherwise treating her differently as a result of her pregnancy status.

Temporary Disability Due to Pregnancy

In many cases, a woman becomes temporarily disabled due to her pregnancy status.

This may be the result of:

• complications in the pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia
• or may simply be a result of the employee's doctor requesting a reduced workload or bed rest

An employer is required to treat temporary disability due to pregnancy no differently than any other disability and must make accommodations for the employee, such as light work duty or unpaid leave.

Maternity Leave

Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, it is against the law for an employer to refuse maternity leave or disability leave due to pregnancy to a woman if the employer allows leave for employees who are otherwise temporarily disabled.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, a woman is eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave that she may use in order to care for her newborn child. Her job must be available for her upon her return, up to 12 weeks after she takes leave, providing that she worked at the company for 12 months prior to taking the leave.

Have You Been Discriminated Against?

Unfortunately, pregnancy discrimination still happens in the workplace, even though it's against the law. If you are pregnant, you may have been discriminated against if:

• Your employer fired you after you became pregnant
• Your employer reduced your pay after you became pregnant
• Your employer began harassing you or treating you differently after you became pregnant
• Your employer refuses to provide you with temporary disability leave
• Your employer denies your FMLA leave request

Although the above are examples of what discrimination might look like, it takes many forms and there's no definite list of what is and isn't pregnancy discrimination.

Contact a Skilled Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney in Pennsylvania Today

If you believe you may have been discriminated against in the workplace based on your pregnancy status, it's important that you contact an experienced Pennsylvania pregnancy discrimination lawyer as soon as possible.

Sean A. Casey can inform you of your rights under the law and guide you through the process of bringing a claim forward against your employer. Contact Attorney Casey today for a consultation to discuss the details of your case at (412) 201-9090 or (888) 658-0041.