Massachusetts: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Effective April 1st, pregnant workers in Massachusetts will be entitled to increased discrimination protections. The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will apply to employers with six or more employees, and is an expansion of existing state laws.The act will make it unlawful for employers to discriminate against pregnant employees or those affected by “a condition related to pregnancy”. Additionally, employers will be required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to those protected by the act.

According to LR Workplace Defender:

The act “requires the employer to work with the requesting employee to engage in a timely, good faith interactive process to establish effective reasonable accommodations.  Some of the “reasonable accommodations” suggested by the MPWFA include, but are not limited to: more frequent or longer unpaid breaks; time off to recover from childbirth with or without pay; acquisition or modification of equipment or seating; temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position; job restructuring; light duty; private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk; assistance with manual labor; and/or modified work schedules.”

For more on the new legislation, please click here.

pregnant at desk

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