Pregnancy Discrimination: Threatened to Fire Me and Got Hours Cut
I began working at HoneyDew in January when I was about 2 months pregnant. I’m now 6 months. I told my boss when I was 5 months, & it’s been nothing but problems since. 1st of all, the shop is extremely hot and humid, to the point where customers constantly complain. My boss refuses to allow me (although he has allowed others) to open doors and windows because of pest control, which I understand. He also refuses to turn on the air conditioner because he wants to save money. When I confronted him and asked him nicely to do one of the other, he told me he was not going to turn it on until July, he wasn’t wasting money for my comfort, and I was going to have to suffer through it. Next, when my doctor gave me a note saying I should be allowed a chair to sit in during times when there were no customers (often times at HD) he told me he would have to fire me if I requested this. The next week, I discovered he had cut my hours down to 8 hours in a week! Is this enough to file a complaint?
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2 Responses to Pregnancy Discrimination: Threatened to Fire Me and Got Hours Cut
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Your boss is in violation of EEOC laws and most likely, your state’s labor laws as well.
Pregnancy Discrimination & Work Situations
The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance, and any other term or condition of employment. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/pregnancy.cfm
You need to document how it all happened from prior to and after you told him you were pregnant. Click here and download this free document “10 Things That Managers Do To Get Sued…And Lose In Court”
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act covers how employers must deal with pregnant employees. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII. Women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.
The key here is in the phrase "must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations." (Most people do NOT understand this! See your other answers.) There is also a clause that employers must provide "reasonable accommodation" to pregnant employees. It would seem to ME that allowing you a chair when there are no customers is reasonable accommodation.
And, as with all discrimination cases, there is a "technical" definition of employer. The laws do NOT apply to employers with LESS THAN 40 employees.