Pregnancy Discrimination Claims On The RiseCHARLOTTE, NC - Pregnant women facing discrimination in the work place is a growing problem. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says more than 50,000 women have filed claims in the last ten years. Pregnancy discrimination cases are becoming more common and the Queen City is no exception. Giedre Coleman took a job at a local restaurant group in 2010, “It was a great environment to work in.” After a year and a half of working at the restaurant group, Giedre was expecting her first child. Within weeks of telling her boss she was pregnant, she was let go for no specific reason.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is supposed to protect women and new moms like Giedre, but based on the claim numbers, it’s clear that thousands of employers are still unsure about what is acceptable.
Mathew Flatow is an Attorney at SeiferFlatow. He says there are many different types of pregnancy discrimination, “It doesn't mean you have to get fired, it can be as simple as; if you’re a waitress in a restaurant, and all of a sudden you’re not getting the best shifts or the best sections.”
Flatow is seeing an influx of cases when it comes to pregnancy discrimination, “It’s rising locally; the days of getting pregnant and dropping out of the workforce are gone.” Still, Flatow admits that the battle is just beginning.
According to the EEOC 5,797 women filed pregnancy discrimination claims in 2011; that’s an increase of 23% from 2005.
To learn more about pregnancy discrimination visit the EEOC website.
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