Believe it or not, women in Colorado and all across the country face workplace discrimination while pregnant. This is not okay. No woman should have to fear employment discrimination because of her decision to have a child. Victims of pregnancy-related employment discrimination may have legal recourse.
What is pregnancy-related employment discrimination? This simply involves treating a pregnant employee or job applicant unfairly due to her pregnancy status. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, doing so is illegal. Examples of this include:
- Refusing to hire
- Firing without just cause
- Refusing temporary disability benefits — if needed
- Refusing promotions
- Demotions
While pregnancy is not an illness, there are those who have more complicated pregnancies than others. This can affect one’s work performance. However, this does not mean one’s job or ability to achieve employment should be threatened.
Proving pregnancy-related employment discrimination is not necessarily easy. There is not always clear evidence that pregnancy contributed an employer’s decision to refuse to hire, fire or promote a female employee. Cases that involve the refusal to provide disability benefits or allow maternity leave can be easier to prove.
Those in Colorado who believe they are the victims of pregnancy-related employment discrimination can seek justice and compensation for any resulting losses they have encountered as a result. An experienced employment law attorney can review one’s case and pursue any legal actions — if deemed appropriate. In doing so, if successful, a monetary judgment may be awarded for any and all damages that are deemed recoverable under applicable state and federal laws.
Source: eeoc.gov, “Pregnancy Discrimination“, Accessed on Jan. 22, 2017
