Yesterday, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate aimed at strengthening workplace protections for pregnant workers.
The bill is aimed at strengthening the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Despite being illegal to fire someone for being pregnant, women are often forced to take unpaid leave during their pregnancy or fired for related accommodations that are ordered by a physician, but not honored by their employer. In a statement by Emily Martin of the National Women’s Law Center, Martin cites stories of women such as Amber Walker who is “the only female truck driver for a beer distributor in Iowa, who asked for help with heavy lifting or a temporary assignment to a different position during the final months of her pregnancy. Although the company routinely accommodated employees with injuries – and even had a policy allowing drivers who lost their license from drunk driving to apply for new positions in sales – it denied Walker’s request and forced her to take unpaid leave. Six days after her baby was born, Walker’s leave was already used up. When she failed to return to work one week after giving birth, she was fired.”
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is being sponsored in the Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and in the House of Representatives by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH). In their statements, both Senator Shaheen and Representative Jerrold Nadler describe the bill “The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers and preventing employers from forcing women out on leave when another reasonable accommodation would allow them to continue working. The bill also bars employers from denying employment opportunities to women based on their need for reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.”
Media Resources: Raw Story 5/14/2013; RH Reality Check 5/14/2013; Office of Representative Jerrold Nadler 5/14/2013; Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen 5/14/2013
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7 comments
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Aims To Do What Should Have Been Done All Along | Blisstree says:
May 15, 2013
[…] Senators Bob Casey and Jeanne Shaheen, Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Jackie Speier, Susan Davis and Marcia Fudge introduced the legislation act in order to protect pregnant women from discrimination and ridiculous… […]
Mother’s Day Is Over – But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn’t | Jackson-Xefohiye-Mike-Carr Qosepeyi Case-Bloodworth says:
May 19, 2013
[…] for the rest of her pregnancy.Stories like these are all too common, and that’s why we need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was introduced in Congress on Tuesday.Despite the passage of the Pregnancy […]
Mother’s Day Is Over – But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn’t | Ritta-Cheng Cozisomu Jackson Diga District says:
May 20, 2013
[…] for the rest of her pregnancy.Stories like these are all too common, and that’s why we need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was introduced in Congress on Tuesday.Despite the passage of the Pregnancy […]
Mother’s Day Is Over – But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn’t | Carbondale-Xonoxe S-I-U-University-Niqabidako Ritta-Cheng says:
May 20, 2013
[…] for the rest of her pregnancy.Stories like these are all too common, and that’s why we need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was introduced in Congress on Tuesday.Despite the passage of the Pregnancy […]
Mother’s Day Is Over – But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn’t | Mike-Carr Nuvocuji Mike-Hamabihi-County says:
May 20, 2013
[…] for the rest of her pregnancy.Stories like these are all too common, and that’s why we need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was introduced in Congress on Tuesday.Despite the passage of the Pregnancy […]
Mother’s Day Is Over – But Pregnancy Discrimination Isn’t | Bloodworth Yilawulemu-Jackson Galupexu Case-Bloodworth says:
May 20, 2013
[…] for the rest of her pregnancy.Stories like these are all too common, and that’s why we need the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was introduced in Congress on Tuesday.Despite the passage of the Pregnancy […]
These 5 Statistics Prove That We're Feminizing Poverty (And Keeping Women Down in the Process) — Everyday Feminism says:
Jun 20, 2015
[…] The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would close loopholes in the PDA and help pregnant women remain at work without putting themselves in harm’s way – but Congress is stalled on passing it. […]