The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted three resource documents on its website (www.eeoc.gov) on June 14, 2016 that address equal pay rights and the rights of pregnant workers under federal law.
The documents, “What You Should Know: Equal Pay and the EEOC’s Proposal to Collect Pay Data”, “Legal Rights for Pregnant Workers under Federal Law” and “Helping Patients Deal with Pregnancy-Related Limitations and Restrictions at Work”, were released in connection with the White House’s United State of Women Summit event that day.
The equal pay document includes discussion of the EEOC’s pending proposal to collect pay data from employers, employee rights to equal pay under federal law, and what workers should do if they believe they are not being paid fairly on account of gender.
The document on pregnancy rights includes an explanation of the protections available under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act for pregnant women who work for an employer with fifteen or more employees. These include the ban against being fired based on pregnancy and against harassment because of pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions, and an employer’s obligation to provide job accommodations for pregnancy-related work restrictions.
The document on helping patients deal with pregnancy-related limitations and work restrictions explains how health-care providers can assist a pregnant patient whose condition begins to interfere with her job and how to secure work adjustments that may allow her to remain employed without jeopardizing her health during or after pregnancy.
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