Having a child or even multiple children may have been a dream of yours since you were a young girl. You likely looked forward to motherhood and all the joys and difficulties that would come with it. What you may not have expected, however, was to face difficulties at your place of employment.
You may have anticipated needing to change the way you worked because of your pregnancy. After all, you may not be able to lift a certain amount of weight or perform other duties that could put you or your unborn baby at risk. Though the Pregnancy Discrimination Act works to prevent unfair treatment in the workplace due to pregnancy and its related issues, you may still have been a victim.
Your right to work
Even while pregnant, you still have a right to work as long as you can perform your work-related duties. You may need certain accommodations in order to continue working efficiently, and as long as your requests would not unnecessarily impede the operations of your workplace or cause other undue hardship, your employer should comply. As long as your requests remain reasonable, you should not face any backlash.
Discrimination
Unfortunately, not all employers comply with the law. You may have made a request for an accommodation, such as light duty, only to have your employer refuse to accommodate you. You may have needed time off work for medical appointments or other conditions relating to your pregnancy, and your employer may have illegally forced you to take unpaid leave during your pregnancy. You may have even faced harassment on the job, such as insults, offensive comments, intrusive questions and other actions.
You may hope that if you file a complaint about the mistreatment that it will spur your employer into complying with the law. That may not always be the case. In some instances, workers could face retaliation from their employers for filing complaints.
Legal options
It may seem unreal that a pregnant worker could face discrimination or other mistreatment on the job in this day and age, but it continues to be an issue that many women in Colorado and across the country face. If you believe that your employer violated your rights and treated you unfairly on the job as a result of your pregnancy or recent entry into motherhood, you may wish to gain information on your legal options.
