The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a new federal law that will go into effect on June 27, 2023. The PWFA will join other existing laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), to protect employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medic al conditions.
The PWFA provides workers the right to a reasonable accommodation for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Similar to the ADA, the reasonable accommodation must not pose an undue hardship on the employer. An example of a reasonable accommodation could be putting the worker on light duty, allowing flexible breaks and flexible scheduling to accommodate healthcare appointments, or a temporary transfer to a safer position.
For more information on the PWFA and its requirements, please get in touch with attorneys specializing in employment law: Sara Frankenstein or Lisa K. Cagle.
