Akron Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney

When a woman is expecting a child, it should be one of the most joyful times of her life. Discrimination in the workplace based on that pregnancy, unfortunately, can greatly detract from that joy and make a woman’s life at work very difficult. Anyone that believes they have been the victim of discrimination should speak to an Akron pregnancy discrimination attorney that can advise them of their legal options.

Understanding the Pregnancy Discrimination Act

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) is federal legislation that makes it illegal for employers with 15 or more employees to discriminate against an employee based on their pregnancy status or after a child’s birth. Under this law, employers cannot:

• Refuse to hire a woman due to a pregnancy-related condition when she is capable of performing employment tasks,
• Require an expecting woman to take leave until her child is born,
• Deny a woman equal pay, benefits, or promotions based on her pregnancy status,
• Refuse to hire a pregnant woman due to the perceived prejudices of clients or customers,
• Refuse to keep a woman’s employment position open for the required amount of time when they must take a leave of absence due to pregnancy, or
• Require women with pregnancy-related medical conditions to undergo advanced clearance procedures before they can receive insurance benefits

The above are sadly just a few of the ways in which employers discriminate against employees based on pregnancy or pregnancy-related concerns. All of them are violations of the law.

Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Women

While being pregnant is not a disability, pregnant women are afforded the same rights to reasonable accommodations as disabled employees. This means that employers must make certain changes when a pregnant woman requests them, including:

• Modifying the woman’s tasks or assigning them to lighter work duties,
• Providing disability leave to the employee, and
• Allowing a woman to take unpaid leave due to the pregnancy

When an employee asks an employer to provide these reasonable accommodations and they fail to do so, the employer can be held liable under the law.

Ohio Law on Pregnancy Discrimination

While federal law outlines requirements of employers to treat all employees, including those that are expecting or have a pregnancy-related medical condition, state law also provides the same benefits. Ohio’s law is even more inclusive than federal law, as it applies to employers that employ four or more employees. State law also requires employers to treat pregnant employees in the same manner as other employees, and that includes providing them with the same fringe benefits.

Call Our Experienced Ohio Pregnancy Discrimination Attorneys Today

The time when a woman is expecting a child should be an exciting one. If an employer has discriminated against you based on your pregnancy status and has not complied with the law, our Akron pregnancy discrimination attorneys are here to help. At Coffman Law, LLC, our experienced attorneys know how to prove discrimination in the workplace and will help you hold your employer accountable for their actions. Call us today at (614) 949-1181 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation and to learn more about how we can help.