Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act takes effect today, June 27, 2023. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act fills the gaps in federal employment laws to require that employers provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations relating to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act applies to employers with fifteen (15) or more employees.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) will take effect on June 27, 2023. The law seeks to close long-standing gaps in the protections afforded to pregnant workers under other federal laws. The rights created by the statute are especially important for employees who live in jurisdictions without state or local laws requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant persons.

Although New York employers have been required to provide reasonable accommodations for “pregnancy-related conditions” under state law since 2015, it is nonetheless important for New York businesses to understand that employees will soon have a federal right of action for violations of the PWFA. Continue Reading An Overview of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act