Report: Pregnant workers face routine discrimination

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act “would provide a clear and unambiguous rule requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers who need them,” the NWLC report says.

[CBS NEWS]

Pregnant women, especially those in low-wage jobs, are denied basic accommodations and routinely fired, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Employers continue to refuse to provide pregnant workers accommodations that they routinely give employees with disabilities – despite federal laws designed to prevent such discrimination, the report by the National Women’s Law Center andA Better Balance says.

Emily Martin, vice president and lawyer for the center, said that low-wage earners can be particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to have more physically demanding jobs – and less obliging employers.

“If you’re a cashier and on your feet eight or ten hours a day, you might need an accommodation,” Martin said. “But there is often a culture that is hostile to employee flexibility.”

Read more at CBS News.