Pregnancy Discrimination Act

Pregnancy Discrimination Act

 

The pregnancy discrimination act protects you if you are working in a company with more than 15 employees. It is a modification of Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to this act, employees are protected irrespective of region, race, color, nation origin and sex. Pregnant woman are being protected from job denial, firing, or passed over for promotion. According to pregnancy discrimination act, pregnant woman can work as long as she wishes to and should not be forced to take any maternity leave. The pregnancy discrimination act also states that an employer has no right to fire a pregnant woman and cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Benefits

The pregnancy discrimination act states that pregnant woman should be treated in the same way a temporary disabled person is treated. Person suffering from disabilities such as fever, nausea and other problems which can be solved momentarily is said to be temporarily disabled and he is allowed to carry on his job whenever he gets back. The pregnant woman should also be given such benefits of returning to work after child birth.  If she is unable to perform her job, she should be given maternity leave considering the situation. The pregnant employees should be given alternative and modified tasks, leave for medications and to take courses whenever she requires.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Light Duty Substitutions 

Pregnancy discrimination act also has some rules where some physical activities are prohibited for pregnant woman and should be given light duty substitutions and should not be fired for not carrying out difficult tasks. If the employer denies offering light duty, he is legally punishable. The pregnancy discrimination act allows the woman to carry out her job as long as she is able to do it.  Employers cannot force pregnant woman to be on maternity leave until new born. According to pregnancy discrimination act, pregnant woman has rights to return to work after child birth after a predetermined duration of time. Her position in the organization should be held open until she returns and should not be filled by other employee.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Health Insurance 

Pregnancy discrimination act also considers pregnancy and related expenses come under the health insurance plan provided by the company. The payment may be on customary charge basis or fixed basis. Additional charges for health insurance should not be imposed on employees of child bearing age. The pregnancy discrimination actdoes not cover the medical expenses related to abortion. The female employees who have the ability to become pregnant should be given the same benefits. Like other medical conditions, benefits should be given for the pregnancy and other related conditions. The credit of seniority, pay increase, vacation calculation should be given to the pregnant woman like those obtained by workers with temporary disabilities.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act - How to Apply Maternity Leave 

Pregnancy discrimination act comes to the rescue of pregnant women who need a lot of medical helpfulness and it is essential to inform the employer once pregnancy is confirmed. Hence, it will be easy to take maternity leave. If the employer is not informed, you have to inform him whenever you take the maternity leave and feel sick due to pregnancy. The maternity leaveis given for 12 weeks and employers do not pay for that period. The pregnancy discrimination act allows employers to give the same job once you return.