The birth of a child is both a joyous and stressful event in a woman's life. Juggling a career and new family member can be challenging and your employer should recognize that. Your employer should recognize that you may need accommodations to perform your job while you are pregnant and/or that you will need to take time off to care for your newborn.
Too often, employers treat their pregnant employees unfavorably, mistakenly believing that they are no longer focused on their work. Pregnancy discrimination may come in a variety of forms, such as:
- Denying the 12 week maternity leave the employee should have received under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
- Being told the job is no longer available after maternity leave
- Pushing the employee out the door by increasing workload upon return from maternity leave
- Being passed over for promotions
Pregnancy discrimination is a form of gender discrimination. Whether this discrimination comes in the form of protected medical leave violations, retaliation for taking leave, or harassment, our attorneys are here to help. If you believe you have suffered pregnancy discrimination, contact our office to see if you have a potential case. We can explain the law and vigorously fight on your behalf.