Plain English Breakdown
Checked against official source text during the last sync.
Pregnant Workers Protection Act
This law requires employers with at least fifteen workers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees unless it causes an undue hardship.
What This Bill Does
- Requires employers of fifteen or more people to offer help like equipment changes, extra breaks, or schedule flexibility for pregnant staff.
- Allows specific supports such as assistance with manual labor and private spaces for breastfeeding after childbirth.
- Stops employers from forcing workers to use vacation or sick leave if a reasonable accommodation is available instead.
- Mandates that businesses post clear notices about these rules in the workplace and include them in employee handbooks.
- Requires written notice of these rights be given to new hires, current staff within 180 days after the effective date, and pregnant workers within ten days of notification.
Who It Names or Affects
- Employers who have fifteen or more employees
- Pregnant employees working for those employers
Terms To Know
- Reasonable accommodation
- Changes to the workplace, such as extra breaks or schedule shifts, that help a pregnant worker do their job.
- Undue hardship
- A situation where providing an accommodation would cause significant difficulty for the business.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law does not apply to employers with fewer than fifteen employees.
- Employers do not have to provide accommodations if they can prove it causes undue hardship on their business operations.