Treat Pregnanacy same as other conditions

As per the title vii of civil right act of 1964, pregnancy is not to be considered as disability. Pregnancy is not the reason for not hiring a person. Employers need to view pregnancy, childbirth and some other medical condition as temporary illness. U.S department of labor has enforced family and medical leave act and additional rights are available to parents.

Discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth and other medical condition comes under unlawful sex discrimination. Some of the protections related to pregnancy include:

• HIRING: If a woman is pregnant then employer cannot refuse to hire her because of pregnancy related condition or because of clients and customer’s prejudice.
• PREGNANCY AND MATERNITY LEAVE: If employers are asking the statement of doctor concerning employee’s inability to work and before giving sick leave then employee is, require submitting that doctor’s statement. Employer should permit his or her pregnant employees to work and perform their duties as long as they can. There is a length of time that every pregnant employee can take after the childbirth so employer cannot refuse her to rejoin the workplace after delivery.
• HEALTH INSURANCE: If an employer has provided a health insurance to her pregnant employee then that insurance should cover all the expenses related to pregnancy. Expenses arising out of abortion do not require any insurance policy to cover it. However, if the life of the mother is endangered then mother may require this insurance. Reimbursement of the expenses related to pregnancy should be done same as other medical expenses. Payment can be on the fixed basis or on the percentage basis. Insurance provider is liable to pay the amount of same extent as amount in other conditions. Additional, larger and increased deductibles can be imposed. Same level of health benefits must be provided for the spouses of the male employees as the employers do it for spouses of the female employees. Married employees are not only liable to pregnancy related benefits. If workforce of an organization comprises of female employees only and if they are getting other medical benefits then they are liable to benefits related to pregnancy. If workers who are on leave get medical benefits then same benefits should be provided to those who are pregnant. Employer should treat pregnancy related disabled person in the same manner as he treats other temporarily disabled employees several issues related to work like vacation calculations, salary increase, crediting of seniority and temporary disabled benefits.

4512 charges related to pregnancy based discrimination were received in 2004 and out of them 4512 charges were resolved and recovery of 11.3$ million was made. Monetary benefits obtained through litigation are not included.