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Friday, June 5, 2026

Proper 21 ran afoul of pregnancy law by firing worker on maternity leave, EEOC alleges - HR Dive

Dive Brief:

  • Proper Ventures and WSRZ Proper, operators of Proper 21 restaurants in Washington, D.C., allegedly pressured a pregnant floor manager to take maternity leave earlier than she intended, fired her while she was on leave and hired a male to replace her, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserted in a May 27 lawsuit.
  • Per the complaint in EEOC v. Proper Ventures, LLC, shortly after the floor manager disclosed her pregnancy and due date, she received a call from one of the two owners of Proper Ventures and WSRZ. When she told him she planned to work until her due date, he allegedly said he wasn’t comfortable with her working the restaurant floor while several months pregnant, the complaint said.
  • He and his partner repeatedly pushed the floor manager to take leave earlier than she planned, EEOC alleged. Bowing to the pressure, she went on maternity leave six weeks before she was due, despite wanting and being able to work longer, according to the complaint. Shortly before she was scheduled to return, she allegedly asked for two more weeks off, explaining that her baby was born later than expected.

Dive Insight:

EEOC alleged that Proper 21 fired the floor manager the same day she asked for additional maternity leave and hired a male replacement a few weeks later. The agency sued Proper Ventures and WSRZ for firing the floor manager because of her sex and pregnancy in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy...



Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxQMmlGR1hzUUtMVlRJZmtYOVZI...