While many people face challenges on the job, some workers may face more hardships than others. In some cases, those difficulties may be caused by their employers simply not following the law. In particular, pregnant workers may end up trying to deal with unnecessary hardships at work due to discrimination.
New York readers may be interested in a lawsuit that was recently filed against Walmart for such actions. Apparently, one particular distribution center has failed to accommodate pregnant workers since 2014. The company reportedly forced its pregnant workers to take unpaid leave. Additionally, the report stated that one woman filed a complaint after she became pregnant in 2015, and Walmart did not accommodate her restrictions related to her pregnancy, such as needing additional breaks, less heavy lifting and having a chair so she could sit while working.
While the woman’s requests were denied, as were those of other pregnant women at the distribution center, the company did offer accommodations for disabled workers. However, according to law, Walmart — and all qualifying companies — should provide the same accommodations for pregnant employees that it would to its disabled employees. It was unclear how many pregnant employees may have been affected by the discrimination at this particular distribution center.
Pregnant workers can often carry out their work duties even if certain accommodations are needed. Unfortunately, many employers may simply consider them a burden and try to make them leave work or fail to offer reasonable assistance. If New York workers have faced this type of discrimination on the job, they may want to speak with knowledgeable employment law attorneys about their options for seeking justice.
