Like discrimination based on age, sex, race, and religion, even pregnancy discrimination is a dominant factor in most workplaces. An employee may be discriminated against because of her childbirth or pregnancy-related conditions.
If a pregnant employee cannot work due to her health conditions, the employer should not terminate the employee stating “pregnancy” as the reason. Instead, he can provide alternative tasks or give flexibility with options like work from home opportunities. In case you are a victim of pregnancy discrimination at a workplace, it is recommended to contact Lambertville employment lawyer who can offer lawful help legally.
Additionally, it is said that the employer is expected to provide equal benefits to the pregnant employees as he would usually provide for the temporarily injured employees, which also includes benefits like insurance on medical conditions. In some cases, paid leave too.
Here are some things to keep in mind about pregnancy discrimination:
Since discrimination on pregnancy by an employer is a punishable act, the following are a few things to keep in mind about the rules and regulations laid down under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which helps in the protection of pregnant employees at the workplace:
- An employer should not demand a medical report: If an employee is pregnant, the employer cannot force his pregnant employee to deliver a medical report if he does not require similar documentation from a temporarily injured employee.
- An employer should not discriminate against an employee for abortion: Even if the pregnant employee used the benefits and later decided to have an abortion, the employer should discriminate against his employee’s decision anyway.
- An employer should not refuse to hire a pregnant candidate: Although hiring is a tedious process and the employer may consider various factors. The pregnancy status of a candidate should not be considered as a factor not to hire them.
- An employer should not forbid a pregnant employee from work: If a pregnant employee is willing to work despite her pregnancy and is capable of doing so, the employer should grant permission and allow the pregnant employee to resume work.
- An employer must provide insurance coverage: Although employees may seek insurance coverage for health-related conditions, it applies to pregnant employees too.
Suppose an employer fails to do any of the things listed above for the pregnant employees at his workplace. In that case, it can be considered pregnancy discrimination, and you can get help from an experienced attorney who will protect you from your rights.
