Three tips for pregnant employees

Posted on September 23, 2017 | By Omid Nosrati | Firm News,Workplace Discrimination

Getting a job in today’s marketplace may be easier compared to past years. But if you are a pregnant woman, the road to a job may still be as difficult as when the last depression killed jobs. This is because not every employer understands (or follows) the rules governing pregnant workers and may discriminate against them. Because of this, it is important for pregnant workers to protect themselves against unscrupulous employers. Speaking to a pregnancy discrimination lawyer may also help.

This post will provide some helpful tips.

Know what the handbook says – It is likely that there is an employee handbook that explains a pregnant employee’s rights and options. If there is no handbook, it is prudent to ask questions to your HR rep and your supervisor so that they understand your physical limitations.

Know how large your employer is – Federal anti-pregnancy discrimination laws apply to employers who have at least 15 employees. This includes the Family Medical Leave Act, which may also apply to employers who have at least 50 employees working within a 75 mile radius. So before understanding what laws may apply to you, it is important to do a headcount.

Keep everyone informed – Not every pregnancy is the same. The nausea and pain that comes with pregnancy may affect you differently compared to others. Because of this, your employer should honor reasonable time-offrequests. In the event you exhaust time off, there may be ways to craft agreements to that prevent adverse actions from being taken against you. But this does not happen without open communication.

While the preceding is not legal advice, it hopefully can help you avoid the need to take legal action to remedy pregnancy discrimination. If you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to call a Los Angeles discrimination attorney at The Law Offices of Omid Nosrati.