Los Angeles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer
If you are expecting a child, this should be one of the most joyous and exciting times of your life. Sadly, too many employers consider pregnancy as being an inconvenience to them. Pregnant women have regular doctors’ appointments that are critical to the health of them and their child. These appointments may also cause them to miss work. Pregnant employees may also have to take on lighter duties or take breaks more often than their co-workers.
For pregnant employees, extenuating circumstances are necessary. To employers, they are often viewed as a burden. Under the law though, employers are prohibited from discriminating against pregnant workers. If you believe your employer has treated you unfairly due to your pregnancy, you should speak with our Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination lawyer today.
State and Federal Law on Pregnancy Discrimination
There are multiple laws that prohibit pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) is federal legislation that prohibits all employers who employ 15 or more workers from discriminating against any employee, or candidate for employment, based on their pregnancy status or the birth of a child. Under this law, employers must refrain from:
- Telling a pregnant woman she cannot return to work until her child has been born,
- Refusing to hire an employment candidate because the person is pregnant and therefore, unable to perform certain duties of the job,
- Denying pregnant women equal wages, benefits, or promotions,
- Refusing to consider a pregnant woman for employment based on the perceived biases of other workers, customers, or clients,
- Failing to return a woman to her previous employment position once she returns after the birth of a baby
- Refusing to offer health insurance to pregnant women unless they undergo advanced clearance procedures
Requesting Reasonable Accommodations During Pregnancy
Being pregnant is not considered a disabling condition. However, women do sometimes develop complications or conditions that are considered disabling. In these instances, pregnant women can request reasonable accommodations. As long as the request is reasonable and will not place an undue hardship on the employer, they must provide it. Some common examples of reasonable accommodations during pregnancy include:
- Modifying the tasks a pregnant woman is responsible for, or assigning her to lighter work duties,
- Providing disability leave to a pregnant women who requests it, and
- Granting a pregnant woman’s request for an unpaid leave of absence
Employers do not have to offer alternative accommodations on their own. However, as long as the request is reasonable, employers must provide alternative accommodations.
Call Our Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer in Los Angeles Today
If you are pregnant and have faced discrimination at work, our Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination lawyer at The Garza Firm can help with your case. Our experienced attorneys will advise you of your rights and hold your employer accountable for making things right. Call us now at (949) 570-8350 or reach out to us online to schedule a free review of your case with one of our skilled attorneys and to learn more about how we can help.
