July 2015
UUWF signed on as a co-sponsor of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, along with dozens of other national groups, including the Central Conference for American Rabbis, the Methodist Federation for Social Action, the United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, in which we serve on the coalition council.
While the SCOTUS recently ruled that a failure to make accommodations for pregnant workers with special needs could violate the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, this decision does not necessarily guarantee that individual women and employers will be included. This Act will strengthen and affirm the Supreme Court’s decision by “providing employers and pregnant workers with a clear, predictable rule: that employers must provide reasonable accommodations for limitations arising out of pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, unless this would pose an undue hardship.”
This act is necessary because it promotes long term economic security and workplace fairness. It supports healthy pregnancy and promotes the bottom line for American businesses who recognize that that their success depends on the wellness, retention, commitment, and morale of their workforce.