You did it. You finally got pregnant. You’re bringing life into our wonderful world. And I’m sure you couldn’t be happier. Pregnancy is an exciting time for all involved. Lives are changed forever in the matter of one single day when a child is born.

You know this, but what you didn’t know is how your employer would feel about your getting pregnant. Pregnancy means a lot of changes in your life, and many times these changes lead to time off and last minute absences. After all, life is a little less predictable when you have a life living inside you.

What is Pregnancy Discrimination?

Pregnancy discrimination involves any action that treats women in an unfavorable manner due to pregnancy or childbirth. This can include firing a pregnant woman due to the potential of her missing a lot of work. If you get demote because you are pregnant, this can also be considered discrimination.

If an employer refuses to hire you because you are pregnant, this is another form of pregnancy discrimination. If you’re denied your same job after your come back from maternity leave, this is also discrimination. Basically, pregnant employees must be treated in a similar manner to other temporarily disabled employees.

Your employer cannot hold any pregnancy-related condition against you, including:

  • Morning sickness
  • Doctor-ordered bed rest
  • Medical mishaps
  • Childbirth
  • Recovery from birth

Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination

Before you hire a pregnancy discrimination attorney in Kansas City, MO – you need to fully understand practices that can be considered discriminatory. A few examples include:

  • A female employee tells her manager about her pregnancy for the first time. A few days later, she is fired. This is discrimination.
  • An interviewer asks a woman about how many children she has and if she plans to have more. The woman tells the interviewer she is already three months pregnant. She is then told to come back after she has had the child and is ready to work. Pregnancy discrimination 101.
  • A pregnant woman has to take time off from work for prenatal visits. She is eventually disciplined for missing work even when others who miss for medical issues are not.
  • A pregnant woman requests to stop lifting heavy boxes while child rearing. Her boss says no, but other employees who have come back from surgery aren’t required to lift anything heavy. She eventually resigns because she cannot perform the tasks at hand.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

The examples of discrimination above all stem from the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). PDA was put in place in 1978 to protect women from discrimination during the child birthing process.

Employers must follow the PDA when dealing with a pregnant employee or applicant. If they do not, they will be found guilty of pregnancy discrimination. This is especially true if a strong pregnancy discrimination lawyer in Kansas City, MO takes the case.