Pregnancy Discrimination - Maternity.com Forums. Your Online Community for Parents and Expecting Parents.

Tigriz · #1 06-05-2006, 02:06 PM

Just curious to see if anyone thought they were discriminated against during their pregnancy? I was working for an attorney at the time, and as soon as he found out I was pregnant he started yelling at me every day and accusing me of not getting things done. In reality, he avoided talking to me, so he never told me any specific tasks to get done, he was simply trying to get me to quit. In the end he fired me, but I was totally relieved. He was stressing me out something awful and only making my morning sickness worse!

Amy · #2 06-05-2006, 05:01 PM

That's awful! And an attorney no less- too bad you couldn't have documented what was going on. I was fortunate, no discrimination for me as I worked for two doctor offices at the time. I do know ofsome friends who feel they were discriminated against as well, and they ended up leaving like you did.

#3 06-05-2006, 09:01 PM

I had a boss once who turned nasty on me when I checked into the hospital suffering from pre-eclampsia. She asked me how long I was going to be out because I was putting her in a real bind. When she found out I gave birth prematurely and couldn't come back to work for three weeks because my body was still trying to get rid of the toxic fluid she eased up. But that memory has stayed with me and I want to smack unsympathetic bosses who give their pregnant employees a hard time.

#4 06-06-2006, 12:48 AM

wow, your boss is crazy, he is an atorny himself too, I found this off the net

Quote:

United States Department of Labor Women's Bureau
1994

Are you being treated unfairly at work because you are pregnant?
Laws against sex discrimination protect pregnant workers and pregnant
women applying for jobs.

ARE ANY OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING TO YOU?
* You aren't hired because you are pregnant?
* You are fired or laid off because you are pregnant?
* You are turned down for a promotion because you are pregnant?
* You are not given benefits for pregnancy because you are not
married?

You are not alone. Thousands of women who are pregnant or new
mothers file charges every year with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. This is the Federal agency that protects you from job
discrimination.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Federal and State laws make sure that Americans are able to have
children without losing their jobs. Discrimination against you
because you are pregnant violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Under this law, employers who have at least 15 workers are not
allowed to:
o Refuse to hire a woman because of pregnancy
o Fire or force a worker to leave because she is pregnant
o Take away credit for previous years, accrued retirement benefits,
or seniority because of maternity leave
o Fire or refuse to hire a woman because she has an abortion

You must be allowed to keep working as long as you are able to do
your job. Your boss cannot make a rule about how long you must stay
out of work before or after childbirth. If your company does not
offer sick leave, then it may be discriminating against pregnant
workers.

Your employer must treat you at least as well as he/she treats other
workers who can't do their jobs for a short time. For example, if
your company lets a worker go who had a heart attack or broken leg on
paid or unpaid disability leave, you must also have this right if you
are unable to work because of pregnancy or childbirth. If your
pregnancy stops you from being able to do your job, you have the
right to be given easier duties, if other workers who can't do their
jobs for a short time get this right.

Many States have equal employment opportunity laws that protect
against pregnancy discrimination. In addition, the States of
California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, and Puerto
Rico also pay partial wages during time off from work for medical
problems, including those of pregnancy. Find out if your State has
this law, which is called "temporary disability insurance." Some
employers, especially larger companies, also offer this type of
insurance. Check your benefits.

HOW MUCH TIME CAN YOU HAVE OFF?

A new law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, gives you added
protections. It went into effect on August 5, 1993. If your doctor
or health care provider says you are sick and unable to work during
your pregnancy, you may be able to get up to 12 weeks off without pay
under this new law. You also are allowed time off for childbirth,
adoption, and to care for a sick child or family member. If you take
time off under this law, you have the right to the same job or a job
with equal pay and benefits when you come back to work. Call the
Women's Bureau at 1-800-827-5335 for a copy of our brochure, Family
and Medical Leave Act: Know Your Rights.

Some States have their own family leave laws that protect your right
to return to your job after time off for pregnancy-related problems
or childbirth.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST?

1) Write down what happened. Write down the date, time and place of
the incident, as soon as possible. Include what was said and who was
there. Keep a copy of these notes at home. They will be useful if
you decide to file a complaint with your company or to take legal
action.

2) Get emotional support from friends and family. It can be very
upsetting to feel you have been treated unfairly at work. Take care
of yourself. Think about what you want to do. Get help to do it.

3) Talk to your union representative. Union rules often allow you to
file a grievance. If you don't have a union, call a women's or civil
rights group for help.

4) Talk to your employer. Your company may have an Equal Employment
Opportunity Officer or a way for you to file a "complaint." For
instance, some companies have new ways to resolve problems, like
"mediation." Check your employee handbook for procedures.

5) Find out how other pregnant workers have been treated. Talk to
any women who may have had trouble at work because they were
pregnant.

6) Keep doing a good job and keep a record of your work. Keep copies
at home of your job evaluations and any letters or memos that show
that you do a good job at work. Your boss may criticize your job
performance later on in order to defend his or her discrimination.

7) You have a right to file a charge. The law has a very short time
limit on how long you can wait to file a charge against your company.
You can file a charge even if you do not work for your employer
anymore. You can file a charge with the U. S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at 1-800-669-EEOC. Most states and
local governments also have a Human Rights or Civil Rights office
that can help.

8) Find out more about your legal rights. You do not need a lawyer
to file a charge with EEOC. But you may want to talk with a lawyer
who specializes in sex discrimination. The State bar association or
the women's bar association in your area can refer you to lawyers.
They can help you figure out what to do. They know the pros and cons
of different legal actions, including the time and the cost of filing
a lawsuit.

YOU CAN WIN

Many women have fought discrimination and have improved their work
lives. The first step is to know your rights under the law. Laws
give you and your coworkers the right to start a group or a union to
try to get better treatment at work.

You can also go to court to get back the money you lost because of
discrimination. In 1991, 13,000 pregnant workers collected $66
million in a "class action" lawsuit. The new Civil Rights Act of
1991 gives you the right to be paid money for the hurt and the pain
discrimination caused you.

WHERE TO GET HELP

The Women's Bureau
U.S. Department of Labor
Washington, DC 20210
1-800-827-5335 TDD: 1-800-326-2577

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
1801 L Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20507
1-800-669-EEOC TDD: 1-800-800-3302

WORKING FOR WORKING WOMEN
The Women's Bureau, part of the U. S. Department of Labor, was
created by Congress in 1920. Our job is to research and promote
policies to improve working conditions for women.

Melos · #5 06-06-2006, 06:36 AM

You know... there is no call for en employer to be rude or obnoxious... but you have to understand that they need to have an employee that will be there all the time they need them. If I had employees and one announced a pregnancy, I would get nervous - just being honest here! - thinking "What am I going to do when they're out?"

harleysneak · #6 06-06-2006, 09:55 AM

You know, it's great you being honest and all and I know a lot of employers are like that, but that's the way of life, if we want life to continue, women have to get pregnant and have babies and a job should be no reason to keep us from doing that. Just stating the obvious I guess. Employers need to be understanding of where the employee is coming from as well.

#7 06-16-2006, 11:34 AM

I actually sued a company in Rhode Island because after being told that I was the best candidate out of the 10 they interviewed and how great they thought I was I told them that I was pregnant and the next day they called me and recinded the job offer. I got a settlement for what I would've been payed from the day I was offered the position to the day of the settlement which worked out to be about $3500. I could've taken the position which they re-offered me, but I didn't want to work for a place like that. Descrimination is discrimination. You have every right to fight back. There are lawyers that specialize in discrimination cases that could help you out. ALso do alot of research about pregnancy discrimination in your state, Rhode ISland just so happened to be really hard on discrimination, so I was lucky. You can call the ACLU or an employment rights group in your area, they may be able to give you the name of a lawyer, or may even provide one for you.

Good luck. The best defense you have is education. Read read read about your rights so they can't convince you nothing happened.

Best wishes.

ashley_westerhoff · #8 07-18-2006, 02:29 PM

i am pregnant and i decided to be home-schooled until i delivered and once the school found out i was pregnant they told my mother to ship me away to a relatives house until i straightened up. My mother was totally ticked off because i was a straight "A" student. I know how it feels to be discriminated and it hurts!

kelkat · #9 07-20-2006, 05:28 AM

Nope, no dicrimination at my house. My husband and kids still expected me to cook and clean inbetween the times my head was in the toilet

!

Amy · #10 07-20-2006, 03:02 PM

Well, it's certainly two ends of the spectrum protrayed isn't it? Seriously, best of luck to you Ashley - I applaud you on keep up your schooling - it would be very easy for you to slackoff, but it doesn't sound like you are headed that way. Keep us posted!