NWLC and A Better Balance Release New Report: It Shouldn’t Be a Heavy Lift: Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers

Every time I think about why we need laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, I feel sad and angry. To me, the law is just common sense: providing adjustments for pregnant workers on the job – adjustments that can be as small as a stool to sit on behind a counter, or permission to carry a water bottle on a sales floor – is usually free or cheap, helps pregnant workers continue to work and to provide for their growing families, and are good for business. The stories we hear from these pregnant workers make my heart sick from the injustice, and my brain dizzy from trying to comprehend the logic behind not providing these accommodations. After all, we offer seats on crowded trains to people who are pregnant all the time. It isn’t a heavy lift – and nor should it be for pregnant workers to get these workplace accommodations.

Yet, we hear time and again from employees who have been pushed onto unpaid leave, or terminated, just for asking for a small accommodation. Others have suffered complications in their pregnancies due to their employer’s refusal to accommodate them. For example, Hilda Guzzman’s employer refused to let her sit on a stool, which caused her to bleed and have premature labor pains. Guadalupe Hernandez* was told that she had to ask permission from her boss each time she needed to use the restroom, which was not required of non-pregnant employees. And Natasha Jackson was forced onto leave due to a lifting restriction, when she rarely needed to lift anything and when other non-pregnant employees who temporarily couldn’t lift were accommodated.

The stories of these women are detailed in It Shouldn’t Be a Heavy Lift: Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers, a new report by the National Women’s Law Center and A Better Balance. The report looks at the stories of these women, along with several policy solutions for ensuring that pregnant workers receive the accommodations they need.

You can download the report here.

*name changed