Still a Need for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is still needed. Stories like a recent post in The Philadelphia Inquirer shows the discrepancy between a positive situation such as actor Claire Danes' pregnancy accommodation on the TV show Homeland, and the reality of everyday working women. Danes was accommodated with wardrobes and camera shots that helped work around her pregnancy. Under the current law of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, enacted in 1978, pregnant workers do not have sufficient protection. On May 8, 2012 The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was introduced. Legal Momentum was on hand participating in the press conference. The bill requires employers to accommodate the demands of pregnancy unless the accommodation imposes an undue hardship. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will enable many more women to continue working productively for longer periods of time while pregnant. The PWFA is still needed for safeguards particularly important for women working in low-wage jobs that provide few benefits or are physically strenuous. Although the bill did not leave committee in 2012, we hope it will be revived in this year's Congress and enable pregnant women to work safely. Women should not have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a paycheck.

This post from May mentions several cases that point out the continuing need for the PWFA.