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There are California and federal laws in place to prevent employers from discriminating. These laws include disallowing discrimination against women based on pregnancy. Below is superior Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Michael Ehline, who discusses your rights as a pregnancy discrimination victim. In the end, we will offer some bonus information about receiving an award of maximum compensation. These laws protect employees against various types of discrimination.’
For example:
- What if an applicant is pregnant when interviewing for a position?
- Or what if you, as an employee, are expecting any day when you are also interviewing for a promotion?
- Or what if the company is downsizing and looking to cut job expenses?
Often, pregnant women are targeted because they become less productive as their matronly instincts kick in full steam. But expectant women remain protected under various laws. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits employers from discriminating against pregnant women. This is a form of illegal harassment. Termination, demoting the woman’s position, or any other actions are discriminatory.
- This rule applies to employers who have five or more full-time employees or who did during the past year.
Ehline Law Firm has years of experience helping personal injury victims like you. What makes us different is our service and the fact that we have won millions of dollars for people just like you. In fact, we have helped plentifully bestrewn women treated like dupes for years now. But this is only part of why we are one of the most respected and beloved attorney groups in L.A., California. Read more below about your legal rights, duties, and obligations under the law.
What are Your Federal Civil Rights as Applied to Pregnancy Discrimination?
Employers with 15 or more employees must adhere to Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act states employers not to base job decisions on employee-protected rights, such as sex. Then in 1978, there was an amendment to Title VII Federal Civil Rights Act.This was when Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. By passing this amendment, Congress sent a clear message to employers. Because of these laws, bad actors will become penalized if they discriminate against pregnant women in the workplace.
So What Is Pregnancy Discrimination As Defined by the Law?
Pregnancy discrimination can manifest at various stages.
The stages of Pregnancy Discrimination Are:
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Medical conditions related to pregnancy.
Employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees under any of these circumstances. Also, they cannot harm employees who intend to become pregnant. Employers are barred from asking women if they plan to become pregnant during the hiring or employment process.
- In any event, employers are barred from using your choice to make babies as a reason not to hire, promote, or terminate you, the applicant, or the employee.
Also, it is your employer’s duty to ensure reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees like you.
- So an example of this is an employee whose job entails body strain like lifting. Here, the employee can request to be moved into a position that is safer for her condition.
- Employers who fail to accommodate pregnant employees violate discrimination laws reasonably.
What Are Some Other California Employer Pregnancy Discrimination Laws?
The employer must adhere to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). These provisions involve pregnant employees in the state of California. Most of all, they mandate that the woman can have up to 12 weeks of leave following childbirth. So if disabled by pregnancy or medical conditions, she gets four months to leave from work. The FMLA is another protection from employee pregnancy discrimination. Under the CFRA, leave for the birth of an infant includes one of three elements:
- Whether the employer has 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius.
- The employee worked over 1250 hours in the prior 12 months preceding the first day. And this is the date of their leave or pregnancy disability leave.
- The other is whether the employee has been in the service of the California employer for over one year.
What are Some Other California Anti Disability Discrimination Laws that You Can Use?
Disabled pregnancies get covered under the California Disability Leave Law (“PDLL.”) Any violations of these laws by the employer are illegal. Hence, you, the employee, may have an employee pregnancy discrimination claim against your employer.
- Also, the four months can be at one time or intermittently.
One important thing to know under California PDLL laws is that when employees suffer short-term disabilities like pregnancy, protections will kick in.
- Here, unlike Federal Law, the California PDLL laws require pregnant employees to receive special treatment.
Here, employers cannot make work decisions based on pregnancy, childbirth, or any related conditions. Nor can employers fire you because you are a pregnant woman. Most of all, your employer is not allowed to determine when the pregnant employee, you, must take leave.Nor may employers force the employees to stop working at a specific point in the pregnancy. The employee cannot get transferred or demoted upon returning to work after giving birth.
Employers Cannot Assume After Giving Birth. The Mother Won’t Want Her Full-Time Job Back.
Also, there are other issues covered under pregnancy discrimination as follows:
- For one, employers who move the employee to part-time during her pregnancy cannot assume they should do so due to her pregnancy.
- Employers must continue as if the woman will continue to work full time.
- After all, she may come back full-time after the birth of the child, or she could even miscarry.
Employers are not permitted to demote the woman’s position either. So just because it may require business travel, the company is stuck. So employers cannot assume the new mother will not want to be away from the infant. Even when intentions are thoughtful, it is still discrimination when the employee did not request a job change or full-time to part-time. Most of all, California’s PDLL requires employers to reasonably accommodate pregnant employees at work. So employers should voluntarily consider granting an extended leave of absence from work.
What Are Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Employees?
The PDA requires employers to provide pregnant employees with reasonable job accommodations.
- Here they must be the same as those provided for temporarily disabled employees.
- Also, other types of health conditions remain covered.
- So, for instance, an employee on light duty or part-time after having surgery has rights.
- Employers not providing the same allowance violate regulations they must follow.
- Pregnant employees must get light-duty or part-time work treatment.
- If not, the employer is acting illegally.
Also, some other California state laws require employers to provide reasonable accommodations. And this also means to all pregnant employees. And this is even if their condition is not considered a disability.
What About Leave from Work?
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to provide pregnant employees with time off from work. But first off, it is for enumerated conditions. They must be pregnancy-related. And this includes related medical conditions, childbirth, and bonding time with the infant. This Act covers employers with at least 50 employees.
- Here, employers must permit pregnant employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
- Ostensibly this is for medical and caretaking issues.
- But the vacation time may get used for other pregnancy reasons.
- So it can cover severe morning sickness or medically prescribed bed rest. It also covers bonding with the infant.
California and some other states require employers to provide unpaid leave. But usually, this is for certain pregnancy disabilities. Here, when the pregnant employee is physically unable to work, time off is awarded. So if it is due to the pregnancy and impending childbirth, employers beware. Smaller employers may have laws applicable to provide additional leave time from work. And the pregnant employee will seek this under the FMLA.
How Do You Get Pregnancy Discrimination Legal Assistance?
If an employee is a victim of pregnancy discrimination or harassment, people call us. When faced with this dilemma, a California pregnancy discrimination attorney can be of assistance. This experienced lawyer can advise the mother-to-be what her employee rights are. The lawyer can discuss state and federal laws.
- When employers violate of pregnancy discrimination laws, a reputable and seasoned attorney can assist.
- Your lawyer’s job is recovering pregnancy discrimination damages.
Laws may also entitle the pregnant employee to punitive damages.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers in Los Angeles
In Southern California, the Ehline Law Firm attorneys have experience. They are pros in handling pregnancy discrimination claims.And they have done so against both large and small companies on behalf of the expectant mother. If you feel your employee’s rights got violated, call us now at (213) 596-9642. You can also fill out our website form here for verification purposes only and a faster call back!
