Share Your Story: Have you faced pregnancy discrimination in the workplace?
Courts have created a pregnancy loophole that allows many employers to refuse to accommodate even simple requests to help workers maintain healthy pregnancies. Pregnant women have been fired because they asked to avoid heavy lifting, or to stay off ladders, or to sit on a stool instead of standing at a cash register all day. It happens a lot. Maybe it happened to you.
Did your employer refuse to make simple modifications that you needed because of your pregnancy? Did you lose your job? Were you forced to take unpaid leave? Or did you just decide to ignore your doctor's advice so you could keep working? Please tell us about it. Don't worry, we understand that this is personal. We will follow up with you if we are interested in sharing your story with Members of Congress, press, etc.
If you would rather communicate your story with us privately, please email us at info@nwlc.org.
Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts.
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Your Stories
Carol Hendler
Silver Spring, MD, psychotherapist
This does go back many years ago. I was working in the newly created Federal Povery Program and was really enjoying my job. Being married for 4 years, we had decided it was time to start our family. I was young and very healthy and the idea of my continuing to work during the pregnancy and after the baby was born appealed to both my husband and me. My job consisted of assisting poor adolescents return to schoo, find a job or enter the military. As I entered my 4th month of pregnancy, I began to "show". I was removed from the work I was doing and taught how to operate a telephone switchboard which was hidden in the back of the office in a cubbyhole where I no longer interacted with the people I was hired to work with and had no personal contact with my former co-workers. Three weeks later I was fired for being pregnant. That was legal in the State of New York at the time. When I tried to collect unemployment insurance I was told, despite my honest protests, that I could not "really" be looking for work as I was pregnant. I never did receive any unemployment insurance.
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Gloria
Vancouver,, Wa, Sexual Assault Advocate
my name is Gloria and in 1997 I was pregnant from my first baby boy who's now 14yrs. old. Anyway at the time I was working as a Cashier at a local supermarket in California and they wouldn't allow us to go to the bathroom as needed regardless of your medical condition or pregnancies we had to wait to go to the bathroom or go get a drink of water until we got our brakes and we couldn't drink water at the cash register because it wasn't professional. So my OB doctor gave me a note to take to my employer stating that i needed to be allowed to take breaks in between my other regular break to either rest my legs and or go get water and take a bathroom break. Well some of the staff respected that at times and others didn't. So one day I was urging to go to the bathroom and I was told I couldn't because I spent more time in the bathroom than what i really workded and that did it for me. I had just about enought I told them that wa unlawful and that it was a doctor's notice because i was pregnant and I couldn't hold it for so long, I told him I was done and I peed on my checkstand had him call for a clean up and told hime my shift is done bye,bye...!!!!! They called me the next day apologized to me and still had a job. Sometimes we just have to do things in an awkward way. I really think that these laws need to be in efect and that it is sad that they don't understand how it's not easy being a pregnant woman and not being allowed to get a drink of water or going to the bathroom by doctors orders!!!
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Barbara DeFratis
Stow, Ohio, Wendy's Rest.
Before I worked at Wendy's, I worked at a Cleaning Service--called Bedknobs & Broomstixs (2004-2008), where I worked with many women--mostly African-American women. There was one whom I will never forget-- a young African-American by the name of 'Kenya'. I remember that she was pregnant a couple of times. I remember us older women did our very best to keep her work load light so that she would not miscarry--God forgive me-we failed. After all, our boss an Holier than thou Right-Winger kept on increasing 'Kenya's' work load pregnant or not--that we became too exhausted to save her from losing any of her babies, which she and her boyfriend conceived out of wedlock, which justified everything our boss, Lora Campe-deciple of her 'Most Holy Older Sister-Ethel 'Jane'-, did on the schedual, which she claimed to schedual as many hours as possible, because she claimed to understand how expensive it is to raise children--unfortunately no pregnancy got that far.
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Heather Miller
, MD, GNA
I first found out I was pregnant in June 2010. Although it wasn't exactly planned, we were excited. I worked (and still do) as an aide at a local nursing home, which requires heavy lifting. I was informed that there is no light duty and was expected to work as I normally would. although my co-workers tried to help out, they couldn't always. I ended up having a miscarriage in August. My husband and I were devastated. the doctor said he Didn't know the exact cause. but I wasn't smoking. I wasn't all too stressed. but I was forced to lift for my job.
I found out Nov 17th I was yet again pregnant. We were trying but never expected it to happen so fast. my husband got laid off from work and my employer knew about my previous miscarriage. I was yet informed "no light duty". I couldn't afford to stop working. I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy in July 2011. thank the Good Lord above:)
Although I can say during my 2nd pregnancy, I remember many days I almost passed out bbecause it was so hot and I was told I wasn't allowed to turn on a fan. "Others might get cold" and another incident I was about 6 months pregnant and got cornered in a bathroom by a lady with Alzheimer's, getting the crap beat out of me.
my employer had no concern for my health or my unborn baby's health. I didn't want to be lazy or put my work on others. all I asked was not to lift and to not have to work with the residents with violent behavior issues, but I guess that was asking to much.
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Lynda Beigel
San Francisco, CA, Retired Letter Carrier
In 1977 the SF post office had a company doctor who did not believe in equity or the ability of pregnant women to work. He finally got to see me in my 8th month and indulged himself in an illegal lay off. Thank goodness for Union Contracts, great stewards, workers willing to provide supportive statements, and sensible Administrative Law Judges -- full back pay for the month my doctor and I agreed I could still work full time carrying loads of up to 35 pounds (in addition to the foetus and his - it is a he - additional poundage) up and down the hills of San Francisco's Richmond District. Oh, yes, late in the seventh month this 36 year old woman of 5'2" and previously 120 pounds had pushed a stalled Volks bug out of the intersection, at work on the clock, with its owner.
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Renie
, ohio, Information Technology
I do not have a pregnancy story however, I do have a chronic health condition that requires me to take medication to assist with helping me stay energized when I need to be. Anyway, at the beginning of being diagnosed with this chronic illness, there were times that I did feel the symptoms that they said I might experience, The doctor decided to -prescribe me with stronger medication to get my health condition under control which made me appear as if I was starving. I had to inform someone that I had not been feeling well the one day and I rarely call in sick, only when I am seriousy sick.Well once they found out about this condition. suddenty my contract ended. I feel that they should be accomodating to those with partial disabilities who are unable to live on disability but at the same time. have a disabiilty because of the nature of the chronic illness. I do need to eat. take my medication and get the adeuqate work/life balance that is required to keep this condition under control. They would be better off with me being able to maintain my health then trying to burn me out.Currently where I work, they seem to regard takling a normal break to avoid burnout on the job unreliable. They work us overtime without any overtime pay because we agreed on salary which I do not think is fair beause I could use the additional money to catch up on bills since it was a very long recession and others are still looking for worl.. One of my friends was just offered a job and she has a more difficult time because of being older. I suport women who have a pregnancy condition that have to put up with this nonsense just to work. I did not ask for this illness nor did anything that I am aware of to cause it because I was informed that there is no cure.
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Richard Seese
Toronto,, South Dakota, Retired
I am not pregnant, have never been pregnant, nor do I forsee any time when I may be pregnant. I do support your efforts for those who are/have been/will be pregnant and affordable, quality, single payer health care for all. I support the rights of Women, Children, Seniors, Veterans, active military and all other peoples.Richard Seese (Senior/Veteran/Male)
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Carmen
Denver, CO, QA
When I got pregnant with my second child, I worked for a Korean Software company in Honolulu, HI. When I told my employer that I was pregnant, I was told that pregnant women are a liability, emotionally unpredictable and unreliable. I was terminated the same day. I did consult with several lawyers in Hawaii, but was told that it would be in my best interest not to sue if I wanted to work again after my delivery. If I decided to sue, I would be blacklisted. Since I stayed for another 3 years in Hawaii, I decided not to sue. After my son was born, I returned to work for a different company.
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Jacqueline Davenport
Takoma Park, Maryland, Bookkeeper/Business owner
I was fired 10 days before my first child was born. I had given my boss a surprise birthday party the night before., but he fired me nonetheless -- he really believed that pregnant women can not perform job functions. The lawyer that represented me still uses my case in his law school class on employment discrimination. It was such a horendous experience (we had just bought our first home) that I started my own business and never worked for someone else again. Fortunately for me, I had a skill that allowed me to be successful as a small business owner. But the loss of a job because you are pregnant still happens today. And it's criminal.
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Kristin
, Georgia, Childcare provider
I was working for a childcare facility when I became pregnant with my son. 4 months before I was due, I took a fall and was out of work for 2 weeks to recouperate and have a few tests done to ensure that everything was ok with both me and the baby. After that 2 weeks I obtained medical clearance from my doctors to return to work with the following restrictions: No lifting anything over 25 pounds and a shortened work day from 8 hours to 4-6 hours. My employer, upon receiving my medical clearance, refused to allow me to return until I could lift the required 50 pounds, as per my contract. They said that I had to be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds in order to work, but a review of my work contract showed that I was only to be able to lift UP TO 50 pounds and not that weight as a minimum. I continued to keep in contact with my employer, asking what the status of my employment was (basically trying to find out if I still had a job to come back to) and I always got the same answer: When you are able to lift the weight required. The kicker here is that my co-teacher had abdominal surgery and was allowed to return with a weight restriction. I then received an email with medical forms attached that my employer wanted me to sign and send to my doctor. Upon closer inspection I realized that the fine print of the forms was waiving my right to privacy and allowing my employer unrestricted access to my medical records. I refused to sign them (the employer had no reason to view anything in my medical history that was not pertinent to this pregnancy) and instead had my doctors fax updated notes, including all of the information my employer was supposedly looking for with these medical forms (which was more detailed information about the duration of my restrictions,etc). Finally, 3 weeks before my due date, my employer wanted me to meet to discuss the terms of my return before the baby's birth. They were to schedule the meeting 2 weeks before the due date I informed them that I was due in 3 weeks and would likely be induced in 1 week after the scheduled meeting and that it did not make sense for me to return for a week's time. They agreed to meet with me after my maternity leave. Three weeks into my maternity leave, I met with them to discuss my return to work. I was told that my status would be "new hire" because I'd be hired into a different position than the one I had prior to my "leave" (which was forced, unpaid leave, by the way, during which time I was forced to obtain government assistance to supplement my loss of income). I questioned this and asked if I had been terminated and they danced around the question, trying to say that it was only because I was being put in a new position, etc. They finally admitted that the position had been terminated when I "chose" not to return (and I reminded them that they would not allow me to return and that it was not my choice, but their's). I never received any documentation of my termination, never even got so much as a phone call. In fact, I have several saved emails in which I inquire about my employment status and the response emails that contain no mention of termination. Because I didn't know of my termination, I couldn't collect unemployment during that time and when I asked the Dept of Labor about it, they said that because I'd been offered a "new" position with the company and declined, that I was now ineligible for unemployment. I tried contacting the EEOC, but was told that there wasn't sufficient information to pursue the case and it was left at that. It was maddening because during that time I could have been searching for another job or been working at that job to feed my family.
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