#PregnancyDiscrimination #MaternityLeave #WorkplaceRights
🤰Being laid off after disclosing your pregnancy to your employer can be devastating and stressful. Unfortunately, pregnancy discrimination in the workplace is a real issue that many women face. It’s important to understand your rights and know that there are steps you can take if you believe you’ve been unfairly treated due to your pregnancy.
Here’s what you need to know if you’ve recently been laid off after disclosing your pregnancy:
##Understanding Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. It is illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their pregnancy status.
##Know Your Rights
As a pregnant employee, you are protected by various laws that prohibit pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Some of the most important laws to be aware of include:
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA): This federal law prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other terms or conditions of employment.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): The FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for the birth of a child and to care for the newborn within one year of birth.
##Taking Action
If you believe that you were laid off due to your pregnancy, there are steps you can take to address the situation:
1. Document Everything: Keep a detailed record of all conversations and interactions with your employer, including the timing of your pregnancy disclosure and the layoff.
2. Consult an Employment Attorney: Consider seeking legal advice from an experienced employment attorney who can evaluate your situation and provide guidance on your options.
3. File a Charge of Discrimination: You have the right to file a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) if you believe you were discriminated against due to your pregnancy.
##Seeking Support
Dealing with pregnancy discrimination and a sudden layoff can be overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Reach out to organizations and resources that can offer support and guidance during this challenging time:
National Women’s Law Center: An organization that champions policies and laws that help women and girls achieve their potential throughout their lives.
A Better Balance: A legal advocacy organization that provides free and confidential information and legal assistance to pregnant workers and new parents.
##Moving Forward
While it’s difficult to navigate the emotional and financial stress of being laid off during pregnancy, it’s important to focus on your well-being and the well-being of your growing family. Consider exploring alternative job opportunities, seeking temporary assistance programs, and prioritizing self-care during this time.
Remember that you have rights as a pregnant employee, and there are resources available to help you address pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.
You deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity, especially during such a significant and vulnerable time in your life. We hope this information provides some clarity and support as you navigate this challenging situation. Stay strong, and don’t hesitate to seek the help and guidance you need.
Wow, that sucks. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything you can do unless you can prove discrimination (ie., you were laid off *because* of your pregnancy). It’s heartless
File for unemployment, Medicaid and snap.
https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination
Talk to a lawyer. The timing of this is highly suspicious, and you being laid off over newer hires is also suspicious. There is probably enough circumstantial evidence for a discrimination case in civil court.
This is not legal advice but you absolutely have a claim here. I don’t know what state you’re in but please consult with an employment lawyer — they should be able to write a letter to your company and your company should rehire you asap.
if you have proof they hired 3 people save it and lawyer up, its discrimination. also file unemployment, medicaid, snap etc.
Companies don’t care for you, you’re correct. I’d further proffer a large percentage of mental health issues are driven by this hyper capitalist approach to business that eschews real human values
Get a lawyer, this is outrageous. When I was pregnant with my daughter years ago I was a manager at Toys R Us and the job was driving me crazy, I think my boss was purposely picking on me. I was getting close to my due date and I just broke down hysterical in the obstetricians office because I didn’t want to go back to work. And he was mortified so much that he actually wrote me A note and blamed my high Blood Pressure on letting me start maternity leave. After my daughter was born and was preparing to return to work, I got a call from HR because nobody had informed me of what I was allowed before I started my maternity leave. Because of this, they gave me another maternity leave Starting that day fully paid the whole time I was out. So I got double maternity leave fully paid. This I guess was because they were afraid that there were some improprieties done because no one ever went over my lawful maternity leave rights so this is just outrageous what you’re dropped at work after saying you were pregnant.
All companies are sociopaths. They are intentionally structured to allow management to avoid any personal responsibility for their actions. It’s a feature, not a bug.
Get a lawyer and then as per the lawyer’s advice blast them.on all the review sites.
get a lawyer
Lawyer up. Even in the shithole USA there are laws about firing due to pregnancy.
Firing someone for being pregnant falls under gender discrimination and is illegal on a federal level. Talk to a lawyer or consult with your local agency that oversees employment issues.
My last company laid off an admin for being pregnant. I damn near quit that day.
Sounds like a big fat discrimination lawsuit. Those grant providers would freak to hear about this.
Firing someone for being pregnant is ILLEGAL, especially if they are a 501c taking federal grant funds.
Find yourself an a lawyer that specializes in employment law
Good news this is highly illegal
I don’t normally suggest trying to sue but I doubt they can claim that they laid you off due to financial hardship if they hired 3 people in the same position and laid off only the pregnant employee who has more seniority. At least schedule a consultation but apply for Medicaid before you do that. You should get coverage for your pregnancy at least.
but did you fill put maternity leave papers with hr
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING. They might try to tell you that you have to sign something in order to get your last paycheck, but it’s a lie.
They probably hired those new people for farrr less than you’re being paid too, and are saving more money by also letting you go.
Tale as old as time 😔
This is the perfect time to sue.
Are you in a union by any chance? My former employment was at a non profit mental health organization and lay offs would have had to be in order of newest employees first because of the union, I saw one laid off the second week of hire (awful). So sorry this has happened to you. Currently I’m a public benefits specialist, please file for unemployment, SNAP, WIC and Medicaid asap.
You NEED to consult an attorney on this one.
Gross. And not legal. You are in a protected class. Get a lawyer! I’m so sorry.
Sounds like a big lawsuit heading their way.
I really hope there’s a case here because this is such an asshole thing to do. Good Lord, I had two pregnant coworkers at my last job that were stressed to heaven before they got their maternity leave so I feel for you. The working world needs to be more accommodating for these times in people’s lives. I don’t know your religious beliefs, but I will say a prayer for you for things to improve. Hang in there, you will get through this!
LAWYER!! Fingers crossed this pays off for your labor and more.
If they laid off multiple people at the same time, there’s nothing.
If they only laid you off, you have more of a case.
Being pregnant doesn’t grant immunity from being terminated or laid off.
SIGN NOTHING and consult a lawyer. You should get a nice little payday out of this
Not a lawyer but pregnant women are considered a protected class so that could technically be considered as discrimination. Lawyer up and good luck !
The fucking audacity for a non profit to layoff anyone, let alone someone pregnant is one of the most heinous things I think I’ll ever read. They literally don’t have to give a single shit if they don’t make profit in a given year. If some grant money ran out who the hell isn’t making sure more grant money is coming in or more donations aren’t being solicited?
If non profits can’t adequately pay their employees then they have no business to stand behind their moral and charitable objectives because they don’t truly care for everyone involved’s well being.
You need to get a labor lawyer *immediately*. Also, as others have said — do not sign *anything* your employer puts in front of you. All communications must go through your attorney.
Oh hell no. You have a nice discrimination case there with three newer highers that were not laid off.
First, file for unemployment so you can start receiving those checks ASAP (as there’s usually some delay). Make sure you indicate to them that you’re looking for work, and follow the steps they require. Even if you ultimately decide not to work, being “ready, willing, and able to work” is a requirement for receiving unemployment. But your taxes (well, your employer’s) have been paying for it, so you should definitely collect on it as much as you’re able.
Next, worry about insurance. Gather up your options and compare costs and benefits. Options include:
* COBRA – staying on your current insurance, but now you bear the entire cost (including the portion your employer was paying before). Benefits include not having to change insurance info with your providers, benefits stay the same as they were already (which I’m assuming you researched earlier in your pregnancy or before it), etc. Biggest downside is cost–if your employer was paying a big chunk, this will be a pretty big expense for you. Your employer is required to give you COBRA paperwork, and you can take a bit of time to look it over and compare to your other options. Read it carefully ASAP and note the deadline, but you generally have a few weeks, and your coverage will be retroactive (so no gap) as long as you meet that deadline.
* Get on someone else’s insurance – does your spouse have insurance? Are you young enough to be able to be on a parent’s? If so, you losing your job is a “qualifying event” and you’ll be able to get on theirs even though it’s not open enrollment.
* ACA – aka “Obamacare.” Subsidized by the government based on income. Go to [www.healthcare.gov](https://www.healthcare.gov) (and not some other site that may pop up when you google–beware of scams!) and look into that option. Depending on your income and family size, this may be economical, but compare the actual benefits closely as well as the costs.
* State need-based health plan – depending on your income, you may qualify for free or low-cost insurance through your state, so look into that as well. Though maybe these are rolled into the ACA plans now? Not sure.
Then contact the EEOC and possibly a private employee-side labor law attorney. You can probably get a consult with one for free or very cheap, though whether they’ll take your case or not will depend on how good they think your case is (and how deep they think your employer’s pockets are). They will very likely take the case without you having to pay a dime, they’ll take a cut of any payouts. Read the terms carefully before signing on with them so you understand how they’ll be paid. If you contact the EEOC, it won’t cost anything up front, and they may either handle the case entirely or give you a “right to sue” letter and then you’d handle it from there with your private attorney.
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING you can think of, and journaling your own thoughts and experiences count as documenting. Be as specific about people, dates/times, and quotes as you can be, but don’t worry when your memory is more vague. Write it all down, flesh out what you can later.
Basically, if they needed to lay off 10 people, and chose the highest-paid 10 people, or the last 10 people hired, or the 10 people in a certain department they decided to go without, or the 10 people who had the lowest rankings at their last employment review (or the lowest rankings in online reviews if that’s a thing), and you fall into the category they used, then you being laid off is likely legal. They laid you off DESPITE you being pregnant, not BECAUSE of it.
However, if they laid off proportionally (especially ALL) more women, people over 40, or people of a certain race or religion, they better hope they documented their non-discriminatory reasoning REALLY well because it’s going to look very discriminatory to the EEOC or court. Unfortunately, if you were the only one laid off, it would be very easy for them to give a bogus reason, and very hard for you (and your lawyer and/or the EEOC) to prove it’s because of discrimination and not, say, because you wore a blue shirt on green shirt day, or had an issue with sorting your paper clips correctly or whatever. Though the timing coming so soon after you announced your pregnancy is certainly a large factor in your favor.
But you don’t need to fully worry about building your case, just document what you can so that the EEOC and/or lawyer know what documents they’ll need to seek from the employer and can start building the case FOR you.
Lastly, you’ll need to sit down and decide whether you seriously look for another job now (and ASAP while you can hide the physical signs of your pregnancy), though you won’t qualify for FMLA at your new employer, or sit it out for now and be a SAHM to your kiddo. But just know that even if there IS a payout from your crappy employer someday, it won’t be soon. So if you need income in the meantime, be looking. You’ll need to be looking in order to receive unemployment anyway, but if you want the full income of a whole new job, you’ll need to look more seriously than if you’re just going through the motions for unemployment.