The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit accusing a major insurance firm of discriminating against a woman for being pregnant. According to the EEOC allegations, the Daytona Beach insurance brokerage, Brown & Brown, denied the woman a job offer because she was pregnant.
Brown & Brown responded that the allegations were not true. However, the woman said that after she received a formal offer of employment through her email account from Brown & Brown, she informed them that she was pregnant and asked about maternity-related benefits. The Brown & Brown representative then told her that she needed to speak with her superiors and that the last time they had a pregnant woman in the office it did not turn out favorably.
Soon after, the woman received another email from Brown & Brown that officially rescinded the offer of employment. The email stated that the company urgently required someone who could stay in the position long-term, and that they were appreciative of the woman telling them beforehand.
The EEOC has alleged that Brown & Brown was unlawful in denying the woman employment because she was pregnant and it claims that the woman has suffered lost earnings, out-of-pocket expenses, lost benefits and lost compensation. Other damages allegedly suffered by the women include humiliation, inconvenience, mental anguish, emotional pain, suffering and lost enjoyment of life.
According to a lawyer for the EEOC’s Miami office, federal law prevents employment discrimination against women who are pregnant. It also prevents employment discrimination against pregnant job applicants. As such, the EEOC has decided to vigorously pursue and enforce the law in this case, the lawyer said.
Florida residents who fear that they are being discriminated against because they are pregnant can seek financial restitution by filing an employment law case. Indeed, workplace discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in the state of Florida and victims most certainly have the right to put a stop to it.
Source: Insurance Journal, “Brown & Brown Florida Office Denies EEOC Allegations of Pregnancy Discrimination,” Amy O’ Connor, Aug. 25, 2016
