Pregnancy Discrimination Is On The Rise (Why It Should Be Part Of The MeToo Movement, Too)

Despite the most recent, and by far the most prominent, victory of the #MeToo movement – disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein being charged with counts of felony rape and committing a criminal sex act – there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in order to get rid of all forms of sexual harassment and discrimination in workplaces across the country.

In October 2017, tens of thousands of women in Los Angeles and all across California were given the courage to come forward and speak out about the disturbing prevalence of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, the pay gap between male and female employees, and other types of discrimination.

But one type of workplace discrimination has remained ignored by the mainstream media and has not to be included in the #MeToo movement. And that is pregnancy discrimination, says our Los Angeles discrimination attorney at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers.

The Prevalence Of Pregnancy Discrimination In 2018

Why is this type of discrimination, which has been normalized by employers and even many pregnant employees themselves all across California, not being treated seriously?

Sadly, getting fired or facing other adverse employment actions for being pregnant is not that big of a deal nowadays. Statistics show that pregnancy discrimination has been on the rise in recent years, but many people (and even courts) do not even bat an eye when they hear stories of women being discriminated on the basis of pregnancy.

Expecting a child is a natural part of life, and it is prohibited by California employment laws for employers and co-workers to discriminate against pregnant women. Between 2011 and 2015, there were over 31,000 charges of pregnancy discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Most Common Types Of Pregnancy Discrimination In California

“Interestingly,” says our best discrimination attorney in Los Angeles. “About a third of all pregnancy discrimination claims were fired after the pregnant worker was fired.” Among other reasons, many pregnancy claims were filed after pregnant employees were not given adequate accommodations, including but not limited to refusal to provide paid maternity leave and reluctance to provide more bathroom breaks during pregnancy.

There are many signs of workplace pregnancy discrimination, and being fired for having a baby bump or the employer’s refusal to provide adequate accommodations are certainly not the only forms of this type of discrimination in Los Angeles and all across California.

Protect Your Rights As A Pregnant Employee

Regardless of the form and severity of pregnancy discrimination at work, California laws prohibit any adverse employment actions taken against pregnant women because of their pregnancy. Our Los Angeles discrimination attorney at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers explains that employers and co-workers who discriminate against pregnant women could be held liable for their unlawful actions.

The most common reason why employers are biased against pregnant women is because they know that pregnant employees will need to take paid maternity leave and will require some accommodations, which may be costly or not convenient for the business.

But the rights of pregnant women – and all women overall – as should never be violated. And luckily, there California laws are on your side. If you fear that your employer may retaliate against you for reporting pregnancy discrimination, do not hesitate to contact Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers to speak about your case.

Get a free consultation by calling our offices at 310-527-6994 or fill out this contact form.