We are extremely pleased that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was reintroduced in Congress today with bipartisan support. Its passage should be a high priority for leaders in both the House and Senate. This bill would help pregnant workers stay at their jobs without sacrificing the health of their pregnancies. It is common-sense, badly needed legislation that would go a long way in ensuring that pregnant workers receive reasonable accommodations on the job as needed.
 
The current Pregnancy Discrimination Act is outdated. It has been law for almost 40 years, yet loopholes mean that too many pregnant workers are still denied reasonable, medically necessary accommodations that would allow them to remain at their jobs during their pregnancies. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would close these loopholes, preventing employers from firing women who request a reasonable accommodation for their pregnancy and mandating that employers make the same sort of modifications for pregnant workers that they make for employees with disabilities – simple things like water breaks or having the option to sit down.
 
Pregnancy discrimination has dire consequences for a family’s economic security because it leaves pregnant workers without a paycheck when they need it most. Overrepresented in physically demanding jobs, women of color and immigrant women are especially harmed when employers refuse to accommodate pregnant workers. Nobody should have to choose between her job and the health of her pregnancy, but too many women still face this impossible choice today.
 
This legislation would provide much-needed financial security to families and make our workforce more productive. We urge Congress to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act as soon as possible, and the President to sign it into law. It’s the right choice for moms, families, businesses and our economy.