Currently, neither federal nor Pennsylvania state law ensures pregnant people have access to temporary, reasonable workplace accommodations. Such protections for pregnant people are all the more important in a country with zero guaranteed paid leave, which means many pregnant people work until the last possible day to save up time to be with their baby and recover from childbirth.
Thirty-one states and four cities have passed state protections and the federal bill enjoys broad bipartisan support. But Pennsylvania Republicans, the majority party in the General Assembly and therefore the party with power to advance or stall legislation, have refused to even schedule a vote on the bill.
As a result of this failure, many pregnant Pennsylvanians are less able to protect their health—even when it just means extra water or a stool to lean on—while at work. Thankfully Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have passed local ordinances to provide these protections.
A Conversation about Pregnancy & the Workplace
WLP attorney Sophia Elliot recently joined attorney Meghan Racklin from partner organization A Better Balance on Instagram Live to discuss the need for both the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the state version of the bill, what that means for pregnant people in Pennsylvania, and what she has observed in her work representing pregnant clients facing discrimination here at Women’s Law Project.
“We have gaps at both the federal and state level that don’t guarantee pregnant workers’ rights to reasonable accommodations in the workplace… a lot of people are falling through the gaps,” Elliot explained. “In my work, I’m often in the position of telling people they may not have the right to reasonable accommodations and that puts people in the unfortunate place of choosing between a healthy pregnancy and their source of income at a critical time, so I do see the direct impact this has on families and workers in their day-to-day lives.”
You can watch the rest of their conversation here.
Know Your Rights
Attorney Sophia Eliot and WLP policy director Amal Bass shared information and insights about the rights of pregnant Pennsylvanians in the workplace for this excellent know-your-rights piece recently published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Learn more about gaps in current law and the Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act by downloading the WLP fact sheet here.
TAKE ACTION
The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act passed the U.S. House and is ready for a vote on the U.S. Senate floor. The Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has consistently been blocked from a vote in the state legislature.
Rep. Jim Cox, majority chair of the Labor & Industry Committee in the Pennsylvania House, has the power to bring the Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to a vote. Contact Rep. Cox by calling his office at (717) 772-2435 and urge him to schedule the Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to a vote.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey is a sponsor of the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. To support passage, contact Senator Pat Toomey and urge him to vote for the federal PWFA.
Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond. As a non-profit organization, we can not do this work without you. Please consider supporting our work.
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