Texas employees who are pregnant have rights under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The law applies to the workplace. Knowing your rights is important.
What is the Pregnancy Discrimination Act?
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is a law passed in 1978 that was added to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s in place to protect pregnant people against discrimination in the workplace. According to the PDA, employees who are pregnant have the same rights as those who are not pregnant. As a result, employers, managers and supervisors are required to treat them the same way as any other employee.
Businesses with 15 or more employees are required to adhere to the PDA. It applies to people who are pregnant but also applies to the following situations:
• Intending to get pregnant
• Pregnancy-related conditions
• Terminating a pregnancy
• Intending to terminate a pregnancy
Discrimination based on pregnancy while unmarried is also illegal.
What are your rights under the PDA?
The PDA protects employees from being discriminated against in the workplace. You cannot be fired, demoted or prevented from getting a raise or promotion while pregnant. It’s illegal for employers to avoid hiring applicants based on pregnancy status.
Employees who take maternity leave are entitled to their jobs being kept for them once they return.
You don’t have to tell your employer that you’re pregnant. An employer is also prohibited from asking an employee or applicant if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Only certain employers can treat you differently if you’re pregnant and unmarried. For example, if you work for a religious organization, it might be against the company’s policy. However, in that instance, the employer must prove that it doesn’t treat men any differently.