News Room

(Washington, D.C.) Today, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is expected to be re-introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.  Sponsored by Senators Robert Casey (D-PA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH), this bill would require employers to make reasonable accommodations to employees who have limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.  This means that an employer might be required to modify a no-food-or-drink policy, provide a stool, temporarily reassign heavy lifting duties to other employees or give an available light-duty position to pregnant employees in order to accommodate pregnancy-related limitations.  Despite the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, employers routinely deny requests for temporary work adjustments by pregnant workers —leaving many without a salary and health insurance because they are fired, forced to quit, or pushed onto unpaid leave.