This year marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The PDA amended Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, making it illegal for businesses employing more than 15 workers to discriminate against employees on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
The PDA was a great step forward in ensuring that women do not experience discrimination while they’re pregnant. However, more work needs to be done. In Pennsylvania, for example, the law does not prohibit employers from asking job applicants questions about their marital or family status. We need to encourage the PA legislature to pass HB 280 and SB 280, currently in committee, which would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to outlaw discrimination against people based on their family or marital status.
To contact your legislators, look them up on the PA Legislature’s website.
