Three Ways To Spot Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace
While the employment law in California prohibits workplace discrimination, many women employees report experiencing discriminatory behavior during their pregnancies. If that describes your situation and you have not been able to resolve the issue through discussion or mediation, you may need to explore your legal options to protect your workplace rights. It will help to run an online search for “pregnancy discrimination lawyers Los Angeles” to find an experienced lawyer in your area and get proper legal counsel.
What is pregnancy discrimination in the workplace?
Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace is the discriminatory behavior that pregnant women experience from their colleagues, managers, employers, or other workplace personnel. It may include any of the following:
• malicious and vulgar body-shaming remarks
• unpleasant comments about pregnant women not doing their share of the work
• excluding pregnant women from projects, meetings, training programs, and outings that they can handle
• refusing to make reasonable workplace accommodations for pregnant women
• denying promotions or salary raises to pregnant women
• asking pregnant women to go on involuntary leave during their pregnancies
• giving pregnant women unwarranted bad reviews for their work
• criticizing pregnant women for taking frequent rest or bathroom breaks
What are three ways to spot pregnancy discrimination in the workplace?
Here are three ways to spot discrimination in the workplace:
1. You find that people are deliberately targeting you and trying to make you feel unwelcome, uncomfortable, and intimidated.
2. You find your employer and colleagues uncooperative about making reasonable allowances for your condition, such as allowing you to leave early for medical appointments.
3. Your employer suggests that you resign from your position when you bring up the topic of maternity leave.
What are your legal options for handling pregnancy discrimination in the workplace?
Being confronted with pregnancy discrimination can be a disheartening and stressful experience for women. Some may even consider resigning from their jobs rather than have to deal with such workplace behavior. However, you do have legal options, and it might be a good idea to calm down and consider these. As the lawyer you find by searching online for “pregnancy discrimination lawyers Los Angeles” will inform you, the following federal and California state employment laws will safeguard your legal rights in the workplace:
• The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA): It applies to employers with five or more employees and has two provisions, the California Governmental Code 12940 (a) and the Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (PDLL), that can apply to pregnancy discrimination.
• California Family Rights Act (CFRA): It assures 12 weeks of annual leave for giving birth, getting medical treatment, caring for family, or bonding with an adopted or fostered child.
• The 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA): The federal law prohibits pregnancy discrimination and requires employers to allow women employees to return to their jobs after maternity leave.
• The 1995 Federal Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA): This federal law enables employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in case of childbirth, adoption, fostering, or for other family or medical reasons.
