New Federal Law Provides Workplace Accommodations to Pregnant People – According to NBC News, a recently enacted federal legislation, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, came into effect on Tuesday. This law mandates that employers with a workforce of over 15 individuals must offer “reasonable accommodations” to pregnant individuals, postpartum employees, or those with medical conditions related to pregnancy. The implementation of this act provides safeguards to a significant number of eligible individuals.
The legislation encompasses a wide range of pregnancy-related conditions, such as morning sickness, pregnancy loss, and postpartum depression. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, potential accommodations may include the ability to sit and drink water, flexible work hours, and properly fitting uniforms. The 19th News also mentioned that accommodations could extend to time off for childbirth recovery and accessing abortion services.
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Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, pregnant employees have the right to request accommodations from their employers. Both parties engage in a discussion to determine the feasibility of granting the requested accommodation. In cases where it is not possible to provide the requested accommodation, employers can resort to offering time off as a last option, as reported by CNN. Employees also have the option to report employers who fail to provide accommodations to the commission.
NBC reports that the commission will be responsible for issuing guidelines on how employers should implement the new law, as well as providing examples of reasonable accommodations, before the end of the year. About 2.8 million people could benefit from the new legislation each year, which amounts to approximately 70% of all pregnant women.
Dina Bakst, co-president of the labor advocate group A Better Balance, told the New York Times that the new law meant pregnant workers no longer had to choose between “maintaining a healthy pregnancy or a safe recovery from childbirth and a paycheck’. Bakst called the legislation “a win for women, families and the economy”.
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The law has been in the works for over a decade, having first been introduced in Congress in 2012, the Times reported. It finally passed with bipartisan support in December 2022 as awareness grew about poor maternal outcomes in the US and the lack of support for pregnant workers, according to the Times.
