Pregnancy Discrimination at NJ Realty Group

Pregnancy discrimination is a form of discrimination that can have a substantial impact on a working woman’s life and the lives of her family members. Pregnancy discrimination involves very specific forms of mistreatment; therefore, it is recognized as a category separate from sex discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include pregnancy as a protected category in workplace discrimination cases.

In a recent case from New Jersey, a former realty group employee alleges that her employer discriminated against her and two other employees during their pregnancies. Allegedly, she and her colleagues faced multiple types of discrimination in the workplace, resulting in termination from their positions with the realty group. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a discrimination lawsuit against the realty group in September of 2017.

Types of Pregnancy Discrimination

In the lawsuit mentioned above, the woman claims she was subjected to different types of discrimination after she told her supervisor about her pregnancy. According to her claim, she faced the following:

• Closer scrutiny of her work
• More difficult task assignments in the workplace, to the point of becoming dangerous and burdensome
• Harassment in the form of cruel comments
• Termination of five months after announcing her pregnancy

Allegedly, two other employees at the company were terminated after announcing their pregnancies. This is not the first time the company faced allegations of pregnancy discrimination. In 2013, the same supervisor in question terminated a pregnant employee shortly after writing her up for poor performance.

Pregnancy discrimination, like other types of discrimination, is any action that unfairly impedes a pregnant woman’s ability to perform her job and exercise her rights in the workplace. In addition to harassment, unfair burdening with difficult work tasks, and wrongful termination, as seen above, pregnancy discrimination can include:

• Refusing to provide reasonable accommodations for a pregnant woman
• Denying a pregnant woman the right of parental leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
• Refusing to cover pregnancy-related medical costs, despite covering similar short-term disability needs

Resolving Workplace Discrimination Issues

After filing a discrimination claim with the EEOC, the claimant’s case was investigated. When the EEOC discovers that discrimination occurred, it tries to facilitate a settlement between the claimant and their employer. In the case discussed above, the EEOC attempted to settle the dispute with the claimant and the realty group, but its attempts were not successful. To reach a fair resolution for the woman, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against her former employer in the United States District Court in Camden, New Jersey.

South Jersey Employment Lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. Represent Victims of All Types of Discrimination

If you have faced pregnancy discrimination or any other type of discrimination in your workplace, you could have grounds to seek compensation through a discrimination lawsuit. To learn more, fill out our online form or call 866-569-8744 to schedule your initial consultation with a South Jersey employment lawyer at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C.