Pregnancy Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently introduced proposed enforcement guidance aimed at further clarifying and strengthening measures against harassment in the workplace. The 144-page guidance outlines strategies and policies the EEOC believes are necessary to prevent and address workplace harassment based on any protected status (i.e., race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, age, and genetic

We promised to keep you updated with the EEOC’s proposed regulations for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PFWA). Per its website, the EEOC is publishing the proposed regulation on August 11, 2023, and you have until October 10 to provide input. 

A Note Regarding Public Comment  

Earlier this week, the EEOC posted a Notice

You may recall that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act and we blogged about the coming changes here. Given that the effective date is June 27, we’re back with an update highlighting some of the key points from the EEOC’s article titled “What You Should Know

Do you have pregnant employees, employees returning from parental leave, or employees who have had a child or children in the last year? Recent updates to two laws may impact accommodations you provide pregnant and breastfeeding employees. Effective December 29, 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, also known as The PUMP

Tennessee’s New ‘Pregnant Workers Fairness Act’ Requires Employers to Reasonably Accommodate Pregnant EmployeesThere is a new law for Tennessee employers. As of October 1, 2020, those of you with employees in Tennessee must reasonably accommodate pregnant employees under the state’s new “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act” or else face potential civil liability.

New Obligations and Cause of Action

Under the act, which applies to employers with 15

You Fired My Dad! Fifth Circuit Rules Title VII Retaliation Ban Does Not Cover Third-Party ClaimRetaliation claims in employment litigation have been on the rise for years. The typical scenario has an employee reporting some sort of alleged discriminatory act, either against them or a coworker, followed by the employer taking an adverse employment action against the reporting employee. We all know that Title VII prohibits retaliation against an employee

Terminating an Employee on Maternity Leave and Winning the Case: The Eleventh Circuit Affirms a Jury Verdict for Winn-DixieAn employee is on maternity leave and it does not look like she is going to be returning to work. Should you go ahead and terminate her employment during the maternity leave? Wait until it is over to terminate her employment? Require her to come in for an exit interview? Almost all of my clients

The Case of the Breastfeeding Narc: 11th Circuit Confirms Lactating Employee is Covered Under Pregnancy Discrimination ActDoes an employee’s protection under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) stop when the employee ceases to be pregnant?  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was confronted with this question in Stephanie Hicks v. City of Tuscaloosa, in which Ms. Hicks, a police officer who returned from maternity leave and unsuccessfully sought some accommodation

You Might Feel a Small Stick: EEOC Sues on Failure to Accommodate PhlebotomistIf an employer provides a temporary reassignment to accommodate an employee’s disability/pregnancy restrictions, does it have to return her to that assignment after her maternity leave? The EEOC seems to think so. In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Dependable Health Services, the EEOC alleged that Dependable Health Services (DHS) discriminated against Sheena Berry, who