Pregnancy Discrimination Act: what is it?

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The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 makes it illegal for US employers with at least 15 employees to discriminate against pregnant women or those who have had a baby. It covers employment situations, leave and absences, and medical and pregnancy-related benefits. Employers must treat pregnant job applications the same as other applications and cannot force pregnant women to take time off if they are able to perform their job duties. The law also requires employers to cover pregnancy-related conditions in the same way they cover other health issues.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 is an amendment to Title VII of the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964. Essentially, it makes it illegal for companies that have at least 15 employees to discriminate against women because they are pregnant or have had a baby. It also prohibits discrimination against women due to medical problems that may result from pregnancy or childbirth. The law provides some protections for women applying for a job while pregnant and for those who have already established employment while pregnant.

One of the protections offered by the pregnancy discrimination law is related to employment situations. The language of the act makes it illegal for U.S. employers to refuse to hire a woman because she is pregnant or because she has a condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. Instead, an employer should treat pregnant job applications the same way they treat other applications. If a pregnant woman is well qualified for a job, the act should protect her from being neglected because she is expecting a child.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act also includes languages ​​that cover leave and other absences from work. The law prohibits employers from forcing pregnant women to take time off. If they are able to perform their job duties, they cannot be forced to take time off. However, if a pregnant woman is temporarily unable to work, the employer should treat her as they would another temporarily disabled employee. If that employee was allowed to change her schedule, do less strenuous tasks, or stay home on disability leave, the employer must allow a pregnant woman to do the same.

Absences are also covered by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. If a pregnant woman is unable to work due to a condition related to her pregnancy, she should be allowed to return to work once recovered. Her employer cannot insist that she wait for the birth of her child. The employer is also forbidden from forcing a woman to stay at home for a specific period of time after having a baby. He must also hold a job for her for as long as she would normally hold one for any other temporarily disabled employee.

With regards to medical and other pregnancy-related benefits, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to cover pregnancy-related conditions in the same way they cover other health issues. Abortion is an exception to this rule, and coverage is usually only required if the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk. Additionally, this law prohibits employers from denying pregnancy benefits to unmarried employees.




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