Pregnancy discrimination has been an issue for as long as women have been working. Even as they have closed gaps in other areas of employment, women have struggled to overcome issues related to pregnancy and breastfeeding after the birth of a child.
Pregnancy discrimination can set a woman’s career back by years. It can cost a professional her job with a company. Sometimes, women feel like they have to choose between their health and their careers because of how their employers treat them during pregnancy. Despite numerous state and federal statutes protecting pregnant workers, employers may still mistreat them.
Women who speak up about pregnancy discrimination can sometimes hold their employers accountable. They can also pave the way for better treatment of other women at the same company in the future. The following are some of the most common ways that pregnancy discrimination manifests in the workplace.
Stalled upward advancement
Employers generally cannot ask workers about whether they have children or intend to have children when hiring them. However, as a woman’s parental status becomes apparent, the company may start treating her differently as a result. A woman who has required accommodations during pregnancy or taken maternity leave may feel like the company has begun denying her advancement opportunities. If someone who was on the fast track for upper management suddenly finds their career stagnating during or after a pregnancy, discrimination may be part of the reason why.
Refused accommodation requests
Pregnancy comes with a host of potential complications. Some women develop gestational diabetes. They have to monitor their blood sugar and eat more frequently than they did before becoming pregnant. Others need to rest and put their feet up. Later in pregnancy, women often have to limit how much they lift. Women in high-risk scenarios may even require bed rest. Employers can typically accommodate most of those support needs by allowing a woman to work from home, changing her job responsibilities or making small adjustments to her daily workflow. Refusing to acknowledge medically necessary accommodations is a common form of pregnancy discrimination.
Questionable terminations
Frequently, pregnant women find themselves pushed out of their positions. Their employers suddenly take issue with their job performance or write them up for the smallest disciplinary issues. Other times, they have no warning signs at all that there are issues. In some cases, the termination happens after the birth of a child when the woman attempts to return after maternity leave.
If a company engages in pregnancy discrimination, company practices are unlikely to change unless workers fight back. Pursuing a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit can force a company to take accountability and can lead to better working conditions for other women in the future.