What are the rights of employees who become pregnant?
Pregnant employees in Florida have the right to be free from discrimination or harassment based on their pregnancy. An employer must also provide reasonable accommodations for any medical needs related to the pregnancy. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, a pregnant employee also has the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for her own serious health condition arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Additionally, employers must allow employees to use accrued vacation leave, sick leave, and other leave to cover a portion of their leave time, if available. Employers cannot force an employee to take leave if she is able to work, but can require medical certification from a doctor regarding any conditions that may limit or impact their ability to work. Employees returning from maternity leave are also entitled to the same job or an equivalent job with the same benefits and pay, as long as the employee is qualified to do the job. Employers may also not retaliate against an employee for using leave to care for a child or due to a pregnancy-related condition. Finally, pregnant employees have the right to request reasonable work accommodations that will help them in their job, such as additional breaks or rearranged hours. As long as the accommodation does not cause undue hardship to the employer, employers must comply with these requests.
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