January 7, 2022

Senate Urged to Protect Rights of Pregnant Workers

Lori Kalani, Bernard Nash

Cozen O'Connor

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Cozen O'Connor

On December 23, 2021, a group of 15 Democratic AGs, led by New York AG Letitia James, sent a letter to the U.S. Senate leadership urging the Senate to strengthen protections for pregnant individuals by passing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
The letter argues that the PWFA is necessary to secure the rights of pregnant individuals for reasonable accommodations at work, such as sitting instead of standing, avoiding heavy lifting, and taking more regular breaks, because neither the Pregnancy Discrimination Act nor the Americans with Disabilities Act fully protects these rights. The letter further argues that, without the protections of PWFA, pregnant workers can be forced out of their jobs or forced to take unwanted leave.
The letter also notes that the PWFA would curb discriminatory employment practices that disproportionately affect low-wage workers who are more frequently people of color and who are more likely to be denied reasonable accommodations during pregnancy.

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