In Florida and throughout the United States, federal and state workplace discrimination laws prohibit discrimination against employees who fall under a protected category. Usually, when we think of people who have protected status, we think of minority racial groups, people of foreign origin, women and people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. However, did you know that pregnant women are protected to?
It’s easy to imagine a very common situation – a woman becomes pregnant, and suddenly she’s faced with the fact that she can’t do her job anymore. Maybe the woman’s job involved lifting heavy objects, and as her pregnancy progresses, she can’t do that anymore. The fear of losing her job often leaves the woman wondering whether she should continue her pregnancy or focus solely on her career.
This can be a challenging time but she shouldn’t take a decision in haste. Instead of fretting over her fate, she should weigh all the possible options, such as trying to figure a way out by talking to the employer. The woman, even as her last resort, shouldn’t think of aborting. And, if ever such a vile thought crosses her mind, she should consider talking to experts from a local abortion clinic, who can help her see positivity in her pregnancy again.
Such clinics tend to usually have free consultations if women need one. During a distressing situation, no one can think straight and make the right decisions. They will need utmost support from their loved ones to stay strong. In such cases, it is best to take all advice one can get from an expert, and look into not only an abortion alternative, but also other solutions for the situation.
That being said, when the woman talks to her employer, she would get to know that she does not risk losing her job just because she can’t lift heavy boxes anymore. A pregnant woman’s employer is bound by law to offer her an alternative job if she cannot do her job while her pregnancy progresses. In addition, her employer must reserve her job for her, so that – when she returns to work after taking her leaves for childbirth – she can have the same or equal job that she had before.
In spite of these legal protections, Florida women who become pregnant do not always know their rights. There have been countless cases of women losing their jobs due to pregnancy, without any knowledge that the law supports them in fighting to get their jobs back.
It’s time for pregnant women in Florida to learn their rights, and stand up for them. If you have suffered from pregnancy discrimination, a Florida employment law attorney can help you get your job back and/or seek financial compensation for lost wages and other monetary damages you have suffered as a result of pregnancy discrimination.
Source: EEOC, “Pregnancy Discrimination,” accessed July 11, 2017
