Because pregnancy discrimination is illegal, most employers and bosses are careful to avoid obvious discrimination. However, some will take the risk of overtly discriminating against you, or there are subtle signs that you are being treated unfairly.
Even if the specific actions behind your feeling of discomfort are not mentioned here, it may be wise to discuss your concerns with an Oxnard pregnancy discrimination lawyer. Allowing employers to get away with discriminatory behavior often encourages them to continue infringing on the rights of pregnant employees.
How You Should Be Treated as a Pregnant Employee
As a pregnant employee, you should have all the same rights as any other employee, with accommodations made for temporary disability. After all, you must take care of yourself and your baby’s health.
Your rights are enshrined in the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The short version of this is that you should enjoy normal employment conditions. Your pregnancy should not be considered an obstacle to any work you are able to undertake or a reason to reduce pay, benefits, or promotion.
Overt Pregnancy Discrimination at Work
Overt pregnancy discrimination in the workplace is far more common than it should be. Taking action against it may benefit you, but it will also deter discrimination against others. Obvious discrimination often shows up:
- Firing you because you are pregnant
- Failing to give an expected promotion
- Verbally harassing you because you are pregnant
- Reducing your work hours, benefits, or pay, even though you are available to work
- Failing to give you a pay rise you would otherwise have earned
- Preventing you from taking pregnancy-related leave to which you are entitled
- Not making reasonable accommodations, such as temporarily excusing you from work, that may harm your health
- Taking retaliatory action because you raised your concerns about pregnancy discrimination or insisted on your rights
- Dismissing you for “operational reasons” while you are pregnant
- Preventing you from returning to work after your maternity leave or terminating your employment while you are on maternity-related leave
You need not accept overt workplace discrimination. Having a strong discrimination lawyer to support you will empower you and reduce the chances of retaliation after you defend your rights to fair treatment.
Subtle Signs You Have Fallen Victim to Pregnancy Discrimination at Work
Before we begin, you should be aware that men are not the only ones to discriminate against pregnant employees. Although you might expect women to be ready to treat you fairly while you are pregnant, this is not always the case. Be alert for the following subtle signs that you are being unfairly treated.
- You are excluded from meetings you would otherwise have been invited to attend
- You are not considered for or offered key projects you might otherwise have been able to handle
- You are given work that would ordinarily be considered too easy for someone of your abilities
- Whether they say so in so many words or not, it becomes clear that your employers doubt your current and future commitment to your career and your work
- Even when there are no overt comments, you notice microaggressions indicating that your employer sees you as less capable than you previously were
- You suddenly encounter very negative performance reviews, even though you are doing your work as well as you did before
- Your employer is reluctant to provide accommodations such as time off for medical checkups
- When you require adjusted workloads, they encourage or force you to push yourself harder
There are times when some of these signs of pregnancy discrimination are well-intentioned, but they are still built on bias. Some employers may feel that they are protecting you, for example, by reducing your workload unasked. However, by doing so, they may be undervaluing you, with negative effects on your future career.
Get Legal Advice As Soon As You Notice Signs of Pregnancy Discrimination
Some of the more obvious signs of pregnancy discrimination are clear instances of unethical behavior. Others may be a result of misplaced good intentions that can be corrected after discussion. Regardless, it is always wise to consult a lawyer first. They can advise you on how to combat and prove pregnancy discrimination, how to record your experiences as evidence you may need in the future, and, if necessary, help you to sue your employer outright.