Pregnancy and Discrimination

You probably know that discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is considered sex discrimination under amendments to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Did you also know that:

• Pregnancy-related benefits cannot be limited to married employees.
• If you provide any benefits to workers on leave you must provide the same benefits to people on leave for pregnancy-related conditions.
• Health insurance you provide must cover expenses for pregnancy-related conditions on the same basis as costs for other medical conditions.
• Employees with pregnancy-related disabilities must be treated the same as other temporarily disabled employees for accrual and crediting of seniority, vacation calculation, pay increases and temporarily disability benefits.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., August 1998. Check with your state labor department for more information.