Every time a woman is fired, forced to take leave, denied a promotion or even a job opportunity due to pregnancy or a fear that she might become pregnant, she has been discriminated against. Women are not the only victims of pregnancy discrimination. When a male employee’s health insurance refuses to cover his spouse’s pregnancy-related conditions he too has experienced pregnancy discrimination.
The National Partnership played a critical role in the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. The law amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect employees against discrimination that is in any way related to pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions. With more than 68 million women in the workforce, including nearly 73% of women with children under age 18, it is imperative that laws such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act are upheld and fully enforced.
Know Your Rights: Pregnancy Discrimination Guide
The National Partnership continues to educate the public about the rising trends in pregnancy discrimination, the rights that women and men have when they experience pregnancy discrimination and the laws that protect them. In our most recent report on women and the workplace, Women at Work: Looking Behind the Numbers 40 Years After the Civil rights Act of 1964, we found that educating employers and employees about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act is key to limiting pregnancy discrimination. The National Partnership will work to ensure that as the American workplace evolves, employment law enforcement agencies, like the EEOC, monitor and challenge discriminatory employment practices related to family responsibilities that may not be covered under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. | |
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