SALT LAKE CITY — A new law that went into effect Tuesday provides a series of protections for those in the workplace who may be pregnant. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires covered employers to make “reasonable accommodations” for their pregnant employees.
State Sen. Jennifer Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, told KSL at Night that legislation like this is important but complicated.
KSL at Night
Plumb explained that this new legislation doesn’t replace other existing laws that are more protective of pregnancy workers. If anything, it just lays out the basics of accommodations for pregnant employees.
“Who are the covered employers? Who are the employees?” she said. “It feels a little bit rudimentary to me honestly, admitting that I’m not an in-depth scholar on the policy itself.”
The bill gave examples of reasonable accommodations given to pregnant workers. Among these accommodations are providing seating, water, parking, flexible hours and more breaks. The bill cited a 2014 survey that found that workers sought breaks more than any other common pregnancy-related accommodation.
Despite the outline given by lawmakers, Plumb said there are still questions surrounding the specifics of this bill. How do you decide what “reasonable hours” are or how many breaks an employee can receive while pregnant? In those instances, Plumb said it is best to turn to the experts.
“I would look to some of our folks that are specialists in this area to help us as a state,”...
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