In this day and age, it’s almost sad that we are still talking about this issue, but it’s definitely very important: pregnancy discrimination. Some people are not even aware of the fact that it’s an issue until they or a loved one experience it firsthand. It may seem hard to believe, but pregnancy discrimination happens yearly in workplaces in Syracuse and across the United States.
Our readers might wonder what pregnancy discrimination actually looks like. It may come in a variety of ways, from not hiring a woman because she is pregnant, to firing a woman who tells her manager that she is pregnant. Beyond that, there are other less obvious cases, such as passing up a qualified employee for a promotion because she plans to go on maternity leave soon, or disciplining her for taking time off for prenatal care appointments.
While it may be hard to imagine incidences like this happening in your workplace, there are many pregnant women who postpone telling their employer about their pregnancy for fear of such actions.
Legally speaking, the Family and Medical Leave Act lets any person with a medical condition, or anyone who has to take care of a family member, take up to 12 weeks of leave that is unpaid within a 12-month span of time. This right comes without the threat of being let go or fired.
If you feel your legal rights have been violated, it’s important to contact an attorney. It can be extremely devastating to lose your job when you are expecting a child or have just given birth to a child.
