Pregnant then Screwed, American Style

Even 42 years after the enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, companies still mess with women’s lives and careers during pregnancy and after childbirth because employers resent women for “choosing” to bear a child, as the known limitations of pregnancy and maternity leave aren’t profitable to your company. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!—as your company won’t otherwise protect you—they likely don’t even know what their obligations are. You are entitled to job flexibility and work modifications, and a work environment free from sex and pregnancy-based hostility. Document your pregnancy in writing before you’re “showing,” and put all complaints about poor pregnancy treatment in writing, too. This way you’ll have proof of your pregnancy notification and prior complaints in case your company doubles down on the hostility. It’s all about the pregnancy paper trail. Please leave us a voice message with pregnancy-related questions and we’ll answer it right here on our Anchor podcast. We hope you find this empowering information helpful. Jack & Deborah

Pregnancy discrimination cases are on the rise again, in part because federal, state, and city laws have expanded pregnant employees’ workplace rights. Learn what to do initially to ensure the greatest protection against unlawful and sexist pregnancy discrimination. (spoiler alert, it involves written notification to your company)!

Coronavirus and pregnant employees: Workplaces are imploding, employees are being laid off, and pregnant women have been told to take an early maternity leave, for their own safety, and they have been fired due to their pregnancies, as they’re perceived as more vulnerable—either way, it’s illegal. You can’t be fired because of anything to do with your pregnancy, and your employer cannot force an early maternity leave. That decision is yours alone. Pregnancy discrimination is illegal. Even during a pandemic.

Deborah O'Rell and I (and guests in the women's rights and health space) will be recording this podcast again on Fridays at 9 am.

We'll be chatting and riffing about women's workplace rights in terms of pregnancy protections, what to do about your perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms if they're interfering with your performance, how to advocate to be paid what your worth, and what to do when you're being sexualized at work.

Let me tell you a story about a current pregnant client who’s enduring wild discriminatory hostility just because she’s with child. I discuss what her (and your) rights are under the pregnancy protective federal and state statutes.