Examples Of Pregnancy Discrimination In The Workplace

Pregnancy discrimination can be extremely complex and hard to identify, especially when it overlaps with other forms of discrimination, such as disability discrimination or gender discrimination. This means that trying to report or claim unfair treatment on account of your pregnancy can be an arduous and complicated process.

To better support you in identifying signs of pregnancy discrimination, we have compiled a list of examples to refer to so that you can better secure fair treatment.

Pregnancy Discrimination in Hiring Processes

Some of the most common examples of pregnancy discrimination take place during the hiring process. The first example is when companies reject a well-qualified applicant solely due to their pregnancy or potential to get pregnant. This places women at a disadvantage and reduces the incentive for young couples to start families. Overall, this leads to detrimental effects on society.

Another common example of pregnancy discrimination in the hiring process is when pregnant individuals are offered different roles on the basis of their pregnancy. While being pregnant means that the individual cannot perform certain actions as well as their counterparts, in situations where this does not apply, pregnancy should not be the sole determining factor in the final offered role.

Pregnancy Discrimination in Advanced Opportunities

Pregnant women are commonly discriminated against when it comes to being considered for promotions, job advancements, or pay raises. This can be for many reasons, such as due to the length of maternity leave, the pregnancy itself, or other factors. Regardless, this should not be the case, as pregnant women are, in many cases, fully capable of completing responsibilities similar to their counterparts.

Pregnancy Discrimination in Administering Benefits

The rights of pregnant women when it comes to benefits can be tricky to navigate. This is because the benefits related to pregnancy can also overlap with medical and disability benefits. For example, being able to take pregnancy-related medical leave before and after childbirth, regardless of whether it is medical leave, paid or unpaid leave, or disability leave, is a rightful and legal request.

Pregnancy also entitles an individual to additional benefits. One important example is that business owners and managers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant individuals to ensure that they can continue to work in a safe environment. This can go as far as removing less crucial job responsibilities and altering their scheduled shifts to minor changes, such as introducing seating areas to their workspaces or enabling them to take more breaks to rest or go to the bathroom. Another common example is allowing an employee to have opportunities to express milk after their pregnancy. This can often be overlooked due to the misunderstanding that the accommodations for pregnancy end after childbirth.

Pregnancy Discrimination in Firing Processes

The last example that we are raising, and possibly the most severe, is when pregnant individuals are wrongfully and unfairly fired or let go due to their pregnant state. This is a grievous act of pregnancy discrimination as pregnant individuals are not less capable than their counterparts when it comes to accomplishing certain types of work.