How many women believe that they are being treated fairly when it comes to employment? There may not be too many women in this world who can raise their hands to this question. But the fact remains that women are capable of doing the same job as a man. And the same premise should be used when a woman is pregnant.
However, this is not the case. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) the number of pregnancy discrimination complaints in the United States has increased dramatically and this has led to a rise in lawsuits. The EEOC opines that although our society has changed and become more professional, the number of pregnancy discrimination complaints has increased substantially.
This is definitely not good news for women who are aspiring for continue working even while pregnant. Even women's rights groups and non-governmental organizations are dismayed at the report furnished by the EEOC.
This would explain why suddenly women's rights groups are suddenly so enthusiastic about imparting knowledge about pregnancy discrimination at workplaces. As a woman, you should have sufficient information on this subject and you should also know what to do when such a discrimination occurs in your workplace, including what legal hassles you could face when pursuing a lawsuit related to this type of discrimination.
According to the US Family and Medical Leave Act, a pregnant employee who is employed in an organization with 50 or more employees is entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave provided she has been working with the organization for a minimum of 12 months. If an employer does not extend this leave to the pregnant woman, you can take your employer to court.
In addition, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow discrimination against a woman based on childbirth, pregnancy or other medical conditions related to it. If a discrimination occurs, it is seen as sex discrimination. When a woman is pregnant, she has to be treated in the same way as other employees with similar condition or abilities.
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Pauline Go is an online leading expert in legal industry. She also offers top quality articles like:
Legal advice help, Pay Discrimination Disparate Impact
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