Pregnant workers have a host of legal protections in California. These are largely outlined in the California Family Rights Act. Pregnant workers are entitled to maternity leave, on the basis that they can return to the same position afterwards. Importantly, pregnant workers are also entitled to equal job opportunities and promotion opportunities and should not face discrimination.
Unfortunately, pregnancy discrimination does still happen. What are some of the more common examples of this?
1. Preventing access to employment
Sadly, pregnant workers can be denied access to employment opportunities. For example, a qualified pregnant worker may apply for a job, get to the interview stage and be rejected based on their pregnancy.
A pregnant worker may also be denied access to internal promotions. In some cases, a pregnant worker may even be fired purely based on their pregnancy. Any form of adverse treatment based on pregnancy amounts to unlawful discrimination.
2. Failing to make reasonable accommodations
Pregnant workers are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations. These involve making adjustments to the workplace such as making the workspace more comfortable, adjusting work schedules and allowing time off. A pregnant employee is entitled to request reasonable accommodations and an employer can only reject them if they would cause undue financial hardship.
3. Exclusion from important work activities
Discrimination can also occur in the form of harassment. This is any kind of unwanted treatment based on a protected characteristic like pregnancy. For example, if a pregnant worker is left out of work meetings and training days because they’re “just going on leave anyhow,” that’s discriminatory.
If you have faced poor treatment due to your pregnancy, then this could be discrimination. Seek legal guidance to find out how the situation can be addressed.