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San Francisco Pregnancy Discrimination Attorneys

California law protects employees against pregnancy discrimination, which is a form of gender-based discrimination. However, far too many workers continue to be subjected to this type of discrimination, as they are terminated or looked over for a promotion after announcing their pregnancy to an employer. But workers have every right to pursue creating a family while being employed in California, in addition to 12 weeks of family leave under the California Family Rights Act and federal Family Leave and Medical Act. Pregnant employees experiencing pregnancy-based medical conditions may qualify for additional time off.

It’s essential to understand your rights under the law and what you can do if a potential or current employer doesn’t abide by them in relation to your pregnancy or childbirth. If your rights were violated, reach out to a seasoned San Francisco pregnancy discrimination lawyer to discuss your options.

The Laws Prohibiting Pregnancy Discrimination

The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) in California prohibits gender discrimination at work, which encompasses pregnancy discrimination. Pregnancy discrimination can happen in almost any aspect of employment, including:

  • Hiring
  • Firing
  • Promotion
  • Pay
  • Approval of time off
  • Other employment benefits

The FEHA also forbids policies that limit or prevent women from performing jobs just because they are pregnant or of childbearing age. It also prohibits policies that disparately affect women because they are pregnant or could become pregnant.

Under California law, an employer may not:

  • Fire an employee because she is pregnant
  • Refuse to hire an otherwise qualified woman because she is pregnant
  • Require a pregnant employee to bring a doctor’s note verifying her ability or inability to work when other employees are not required to follow similar protocol if they are injured or ill
  • Fail to restore an employee who returned from pregnancy leave to her former position or one like it
  • Treat an employee differently because she is pregnant, including demoting her, decreasing her hours, or removing privileges/responsibilities
  • Enact a rule that employees may not return to work for a certain amount of time before or after giving birth
  • Penalize an employee who takes time off for prenatal doctor appointments when other employees are not penalized when they leave for medical reasons
  • Ignore an employee who is otherwise qualified for a promotion or pay raise because she is pregnant

Many employers still wrongly believe that women who are pregnant or might become pregnant will cause disruptions to operations, but women have the right to the same employment opportunities as other workers.

Examples of Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy discrimination involves treating applicants or employees unfairly due to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related conditions. Pregnancy discrimination can include any of the following conduct by an employer:

  • Refusing to hire an applicant because they are pregnant
  • Firing or demoting an employee due to pregnancy
  • Denying the same or a similar position to a pregnant employee when she returns from a pregnancy-related absence
  • Treating a pregnant employee differently than other employees who are temporarily disabled 

Sometimes pregnancy discrimination is blatant, and other times, it’s not. If you feel like you are being treated differently or unfairly by an employer or a potential employer because of your pregnancy, a reputable San Francisco pregnancy discrimination attorney can review your case and advise you of the best next steps.

Explore Your Legal Rights with a Skilled San Francisco Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

At the Law Office of Jeannette A. Vaccaro, we want you to know that you have legal rights when it comes to workplace pregnancy discrimination. If you’ve been treated illegally, a seasoned San Francisco pregnancy discrimination attorney from our firm can help you explore your rights and options. Contact us today to schedule a confidential case review.

Think You May
Have A Case?

Jeannette is passionate about employee rights. She fights to shed light on injustices and to help her clients move beyond troubling times. Contact Jeannette today for a free case evaluation.

Jeannette A. Vaccaro is a Passionate and zealous advocate, representing employees in all facets of employment law.

Think You May Have A Case?

Jeannette is passionate about employee rights. She fights to shed light on injustices and to help her clients move beyond troubling times. Contact Jeannette today for a free case evaluation.

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