Pregnant employees and new mothers now have more federal protections throughout pregnancies and postpartum recovery from their employers, thanks to the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act — but California remains among the most protected in the nation.
The act was signed into law by President Joe Biden last year, and is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as of June 27.
The law requires that employers provide “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant people related to their pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical conditions. Employers are mandated to accommodate requests if they have a minimum of 15 employees.
For California, state laws offer wider protections.
Here’s what you should know and how to request accommodations from your employer:
The California Family Rights Act provides pregnant workers in California with “reasonable accommodation,” plus other rights.
Here are pregnant workers rights in California, according to the State of California Civil Rights Department:
A California worker can receive up to four months of disability leave, in addition to their employer’s allotted pregnancy leave. If the pregnant worker is disabled for longer than four months, they may qualify for a longer disability period through reasonable accommodation.
Pregnant workers can request to be transferred to a less strenuous job while pregnant.
You can request for reasonable accommodation while pregnant. This can...
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