• An act to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. [1]

• Forbids discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance, and any other term or condition of employment.[2]

• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[2]

• Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII, which covers employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments.

• Title VII also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations, as well as to the federal government.

• Women who are pregnant or affected by pregnancy-related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.

• TITLE VII’s PREGNANCY-RELATED PROTECTIONS INCLUDE:

o Pregnancy and Maternity Leave

• An employer may not single out pregnancy-related conditions for special procedures to determine an employee’s ability to work.

• If an employer requires its employees to submit a doctor’s statement concerning their inability to work before granting leave or paying sick benefits, the employer may require employees affected by pregnancy-related conditions to submit such statements.

• If an employee is temporarily unable to perform her job because of her pregnancy, the employer must treat her the same as any other temporarily disabled employee.

• Example: if the employer allows temporarily disabled employees to modify tasks, perform alternative assignments, or take disability leave or leave without pay, the employer also must allow an employee who is temporarily disabled because of pregnancy to do the same.

• Pregnant employees must be permitted to work as long as they are able to perform their jobs.

• Employers must hold open a job for a pregnancy-related absence the same length of time jobs are held open for employees on sick or disability leave.

o Health Insurance

• Any health insurance provided by an employer must cover expenses for pregnancy-related conditions on the same basis as costs for other medical conditions.

• An employer need not provide health insurance for expenses arising from abortion, except where the life of the mother is endangered.

• Pregnancy-related expenses should be reimbursed exactly as those incurred for other medical conditions, whether payment is on a fixed basis or a percentage of reasonable-and-customary-charge basis.

• The amounts payable by the insurance provider can be limited only to the same extent as amounts payable for other conditions. No additional, increased, or larger deductible can be imposed.

• Employers must provide the same level of health benefits for spouses of male employees as they do for spouses of female employees.

o Fringe Benefits

• Pregnancy-related benefits cannot be limited to married employees.

• In an all-female workforce or job classification, benefits must be provided for pregnancy-related conditions if benefits are provided for other medical conditions.

• If an employer provides any benefits to workers on leave, the employer must provide the same benefits for those on leave for pregnancy-related conditions.

• Employees on leave because of pregnancy-related conditions must be treated the same as other temporarily disabled employees for accrual and crediting of seniority, vacation calculation, pay increases, and temporary disability benefits.