The Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2014: What Employers Need to Know

On March 3, 2015, the Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2014 (the "Act") went into effect in the District of Columbia, providing new legal protections to employees whose ability to perform their jobs is affected by pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, or breastfeeding.The Act covers all employers in the District of Columbia, regardless of size.

Among the new act's key provisions are a requirement that employers provide reasonable accommodations to workers with pregnancy-related conditions.The Act also prohibits an employer from:

• Retaliating against an employee who requests or uses a reasonable accommodation;
• Denying an employment opportunity to an employee or job applicant if the denial is based on the need to make a reasonable accommodation; and
• Requiring an employee to accept an accommodation that the employee does not need, or requiring an employee to take a leave of absence in lieu of providing a reasonable accommodation.

For more information, read Legal Alert: The Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2014.