Pregnant employees in California are protected by some of the strongest workplace laws in the country. If you have faced pregnancy discrimination, been denied leave, or struggled to get reasonable accommodations, you may have legal options. State and federal laws give you the right to stay safe, supported, and employed while pregnant.
California Law Protects Your Right to Work While Pregnant
If you are pregnant and working in California, you have rights that are protected by state law. Under California Gov. Code § 12945, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations when pregnancy affects your ability to work. These accommodations might include modified job duties, extra bathroom breaks, or even a temporary reassignment if your usual role involves something risky.
If your doctor says you are temporarily disabled by a pregnancy-related condition, your employer also has to give you time off. These protections exist to help you stay employed without facing pressure, penalties, or discrimination for taking care of your health and your baby.
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations Employers Must Consider
A reasonable accommodation is not about giving special treatment. It is about making adjustments that allow you to keep working safely while your body is changing. That might mean limiting how much you lift, providing a chair so you do not have to stand all day, or allowing a more flexible work schedule to attend medical appointments.
These changes do not have to be complicated or expensive. They just have to support your ability to do your job without putting your health at risk.
Pregnancy Does Not Justify Termination or Retaliation
If you are pregnant, California law under Gov. Code § 12945 protects your right to stay employed and be treated fairly. Employers are not allowed to fire you, reduce your hours, or punish you in any way because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.
You also cannot be penalized for requesting time off, asking for accommodations, or using protected leave. If an employer takes action against you for any of these reasons, it may qualify as wrongful termination under state law.
How Employers May Try to Mask Discrimination
Sometimes, employers try to cover up pregnancy-related discrimination by blaming job performance, restructuring, or general staffing issues. These excuses might look fine on paper, but the timing often tells another story. If things started to shift right after you announced your pregnancy or asked for leave, that could be a red flag.
Pregnancy discrimination is a form of sex discrimination under California Gov. Code § 12945, and even subtle changes in treatment may qualify. If you were passed over, demoted, or suddenly disciplined after disclosing your pregnancy, the employer’s reasoning deserves closer review. These cases are often about patterns, timing, and whether the employer followed through on their legal obligations.
Retaliation After Pregnancy Leave or Schedule Adjustments
Legal protections do not disappear once your baby is born. If you return to work and find that your hours have been cut, your duties changed, or your advancement stalled, you might be facing retaliation. That behavior is prohibited under California Gov. Code § 12940(h), which makes it unlawful for employers to retaliate against workers who exercise their rights under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
Even routine requests for modified hours or breaks for lactation are protected. If you were punished after asking for something small, like extra time for a doctor’s visit or a safe place to pump, that response may not be legal. Retaliation does not always show up as a firing. Sometimes, it is gradual. But if it affects your employment, your pay, or your ability to succeed, you have every right to take it seriously.