The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that it will hold a public meeting on the subject of pregnancy discrimination and caregiver issues on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at the Agency's headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. The meeting is open for public observation.

The meeting will include three panel discussions: 1) Understanding Pregnancy and Caregiver Discrimination in Today's Workforce; 2) Statutory Framework and Enforcement Efforts; and 3) The Way Forward: Implications for the Future.

This is not the first time the agency has focused on issues relating to caregivers. Although Title VII does not specifically prohibit discrimination against "caregivers" as a protected category, the EEOC has taken the position that, in some circumstances, discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities may constitute discrimination based on sex, disability or other characteristics protected by federal discrimination laws. In 2007, the agency issued an enforcement guidance and a related set of questions and answers addressing discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities.

Please see full alert below for more information.