What is the Pregnancy Discrimination Act?

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is a civil rights law that protects pregnant people in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States from discrimination in the workplace. This law, which was passed in 1978, prohibits discrimination based on an employee’s pregnancy or related medical condition. This law affects all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, and benefits. Under the law, employers must treat pregnant people the same as non-pregnant individuals of similar ability or inability to work. This means that employers cannot deny employment, reduce pay, or fire a person simply because they are pregnant. Furthermore, employers cannot require pregnant employees to take leave earlier than other medical leave. The law also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees who, due to their condition, cannot perform their job duties, as long as such accommodations do not impose an undue hardship on the employer. Examples of reasonable accommodations include more frequent or longer break periods, modifications to equipment and seating, and job restructuring. It is important to note that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also extends protections to pregnant employees, prohibiting gender discrimination in the workplace regardless of whether the employee is pregnant. With both state and federal laws in place, pregnant people in Pennsylvania have important legal protections against discrimination in the workplace.

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What is the Pregnancy Discrimination Act?

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