The limited and inadequate benefits offered to pregnant women by employers are discouraging. The federal government and the private sector can and must do better. The start of a new year brings with it a fresh opportunity for the United States to get this right. We must not miss this opportunity; we owe it to families to standardize protections for all pregnant women working in the United States.
It’s clear we need a federal solution that protects pregnant women, rather than the current patchwork of ineffective state-based regulations that aren’t working for most women and only benefit some pregnant employees. The passage of the Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act (PWFA) — introduced early last year — would change that. The bill is a necessary step toward giving working parents in the US the support they need for the most important job they have — parenthood.
