While pregnancy is a transformative life experience for most people, it can unfortunately turn into a time when women face unjust treatment and discrimination in the workplace. If you feel uncomfortable at work or if you feel like your supervisors or colleagues treat you differently because of your pregnancy, you could be facing pregnancy discrimination.
According to the EEOC, there are laws against pregnancy discrimination.
Refusal to hire
When you arrive at a job interview, you should expect the employer to consider your application based on merit and experience. However, some employers will judge a potential employee when the applicant appears visibly pregnant. If the interviewer brings up your pregnancy in a negative way or if you fear that he or she will not hire you because of it, you may have a claim against the business.
Unjust termination
Your employer cannot terminate your employment because of pregnancy. Generally, when an employer fires an employee due to pregnancy, he or she will make up other excuses for it. Try to track any negative comments about your pregnancy and keep documents of discrimination before your firing. If you have colleagues who know the real reason for your termination, he or she can serve as witnesses.
Lack of accommodations
All employers must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees. Accommodations may include modified work duties, flexible schedules or a more accessible workplace.
Over the last 10 years, there have been over 50,000 pregnancy discrimination claims. Fortunately, there are various laws and regulations that protect pregnant women’s rights within the U.S. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits all discrimination on the basis of pregnancy.