Coronavirus and pregnant employees: Workplaces are imploding, employees are being laid off, and pregnant women have been told to take an early maternity leave, for their own safety, and they have been fired due to their pregnancies, as they’re perceived as more vulnerable—either way, it’s illegal. You can’t be fired because of anything to do with your pregnancy, and your employer cannot force an early maternity leave. That decision is yours alone. Pregnancy discrimination is illegal. Even during a pandemic.

Even 42 years after the enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, companies still mess with women’s lives and careers during pregnancy and after childbirth because employers resent women for “choosing” to bear a child, as the known limitations of pregnancy and maternity leave aren’t profitable to your company. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!—as your company won’t otherwise protect you—they likely don’t even know what their obligations are. You are entitled to job flexibility and work modifications, and a work environment free from sex and pregnancy-based hostility. Document your pregnancy in writing before you’re “showing,” and put all complaints about poor pregnancy treatment in writing, too. This way you’ll have proof of your pregnancy notification and prior complaints in case your company doubles down on the hostility. It’s all about the pregnancy paper trail. Please leave us a voice message with pregnancy-related questions and we’ll answer it right here on our Anchor podcast. We hope you find this empowering information helpful. Jack & Deborah

Before fling your complaint in federal or state court—or with a federal administrative agency (EEOC)—or state workplace discrimination agency, make sure you’ve documented your pregnancy claims to your employer, and that you know what your goals are, as each filing choice will have consequences and may limit your negotiating flexibility. Note: I was not mindful of the 60 minute podcast limited so it cuts off at the end. Please let me know your questions here (or tweet me @jacktuckner) and I’ll answer each on this podcast (and will do my best to be succinct):).

Questions about your workplace rights while pregnant? Listen to women’s rights attorney Jack Tuckner riff on pregnancy-based workplace concerns and learn how to protect yourself.

Learn the basics and how to protect yourself. 

Join Jack Tuckner and Deborah O’Rell as they dive deep each week into gender-specific issues related to working women, and how to recognize and protect yourself and your income from discriminatory treatment resulting from pregnancy and related medical conditions, including postpartum lactation problems at work.