Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace: Understanding What the New Laws on Accommodations for Pregnancy and Lactation Require Employers To Do

Addressing Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace. New Laws for Pregnancy and Lactation Accommodations

If you thought you understood your obligations from a legal perspective of handling a pregnant employee in your workplace, think again. The rules change so quickly it is hard to keep up. This webinar will answer your most important questions on pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, such as whether you even have to accommodate a pregnant employee since a normal pregnancy is not a “disability” within the meaning of the ADA/ADAAA.

What laws come into play when an employee requests to be able to take more frequent breaks due to her pregnancy as a reasonable accommodation? What obligations do employers have under the recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act with regard to providing pregnant employees with reasonable accommodation? In addition to this important federal law, what states and municipalities have passed laws that affirmatively require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to their pregnant employees? What guidelines has the EEOC issued requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees based on pregnancy-related conditions such as gestational diabetes or hypertension?

What about after a pregnant employee gives birth and needs to nurse her child? What laws come into play at this point? What are your obligations under the PUMP Act? Do states and municipalities also have laws and regulations protecting nursing moms in the workplace? Are you familiar with NYC's recently issued Model Lactation Accommodation Policies and Request Forms? Even though New York State has required that employers provide reasonable break time to nursing employees for a while, did you know that NYC just passed a law requiring that employers in NYC provide employees with lactation accommodations, including a lactation room where employees can pump/express breast milk, and reasonable time to pump/express breast milk? Do you know your obligations under this law and other laws requiring reasonable break time for nursing moms to express breast milk in the workplace? Do employers need to have a written lactation policy that is compliant with these recently enacted laws? Learn what your Lactation Policy should include and see a sample draft lactation policy.

What You'll Learn

This webinar will provide answers to these questions and more:

• What does the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act require regarding reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers?
• What states and municipalities require reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees?
• What is the “Interactive Process” that is required when a pregnant employee requests a reasonable accommodation?
• Types of reasonable accommodations you may need to provide to a pregnant employee
• What procedures should you have in place for providing reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees?
• Reasonable break time for nursing moms: what is required?
• Federal, state, and local laws requiring reasonable break time
• Lactation room requirements
• Model lactation accommodation policies and procedures
• And much more...