While many employers have invested in benefits and policies that protect and support their pregnant employees, the latest version of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is taking protections to a new level — and employers need to be ready.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, or PWFA, has been finalized and goes into effect today, expanding protections to not just pregnant workers but those experiencing a host of related medical conditions, including infertility, lactation, miscarriage, abortion and menstruation. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) clarified that pre-existing conditions exacerbated by pregnancy are also under the act’s jurisdiction. This means any employer with more than 15 employees needs to accommodate affected workers, going as far as to eliminate any essential job functions that may harm them.
