At the present moment, women are said to hold about 50% of the jobs in New Jersey and around the country’s workforce. Another very interesting statistic is that 85% of those women will become pregnant at some point in their careers. Even so, according to the United States Census Bureau, those who do become pregnant will end up working more hours during their pregnancy and come back to work a lot sooner. Issues arise when the woman is unable to perform her daily duties due to the pregnancy. The law states that employers then need to treat women the same as someone with a disability. Yet over the years, more and more complaints have been filed due to pregnancy discrimination.

Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace

According to the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), it is against the law to discriminate against a woman who is pregnant, has just given childbirth, or has been disabled due to pregnancy complications. In this case, discrimination involves an employer either firing them, cutting their hours or taking active steps to ensure a hostile work environment. In fact, various studies have shown that these types of hostile acts by employers tend to affect both the mother and her unborn child’s overall health.

What can you do about it?

For many women, simply leaving their job isn’t a possibility. Confronting their boss may also not be feasible. So, what can women do about this issue? The very best thing you can do for yourself is to become educated. Educate yourself on both the company’s policies regarding discrimination in the workplace and the federal law. Make sure to properly record any instances of retaliation in the event that you need to present proof in court.

It can be rather daunting to a soon-to-be mother to deal with both a pregnancy and discrimination at the same time. This is why it is considered very important to obtain an attorney’s services as they may be able to provide you with the best course of action against discrimination.

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