As outlined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) forbids discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance, and any other term or condition of employment.”
Filing a Claim for Pregnancy Discrimination
You have many different options if you decide to file a claim for pregnancy discrimination. You can submit a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which deals with federal law infractions. NYS Human Rights Law breaches are handled by the New York State Division of Human Rights, whereas CHRL violations are handled by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
If your claim is covered by more than one statute, the three agencies that handle discrimination cases have a “work-sharing agreement,” which means they work together to process your claims. It is not necessary to submit a claim to each agency. All you have to do is request that your claim be “cross-filed” with the other agencies.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
When it comes to protecting pregnant workers from discrimination, New York State and City has many laws in place. However, following the enactment of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a new class of qualifying employee was created, who until now, were not entitled to reasonable accommodations as a result of their pregnancy of childbirth by existing laws.
To learn more about this new class of qualifying employee, what reasonable accommodations will be offered, what legal options you might have if you were subjected to pregnancy-related discrimination, please visit our subpage on the topic here.
