Discrimination still exists at work in the U.S. Although discrimination in any of its forms is illegal, there are still some employers who violated their employees’ rights with impunity. In California, among other discriminatory acts, pregnancy discrimination is another form of public policy violation that is being closely monitored and curtailed at work. Pregnancy discrimination happens when a pregnant employee is treated differently or poorly at work on account of her pregnant state.

Ways of Committing Maternity Discrimination

Discrimination can be manifested in many forms. There are overt and introvert acts that employers do to harass or unjustly treat their marginalized employees.

• Overt Acts – if you are not allowed medical leaves to get checked out by a medical professional during pregnancy, not providing reasonable accommodations or assigned difficult tasks that could be detrimental to your health then you are being directly or overtly discriminated against at work.

• Introvert Acts – if you are not being given the same wage or benefits as your other co-workers then you are being discriminated against through violation of your labor law rights.

Laws Protecting Your Rights

In California alone, several laws have been passed protecting pregnant mothers in the work place against unjust employers, like:

• • California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA),
• • California Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (PDLL) and
• • California Family Rights Act (CFRA).

The above laws state, in simple, that pregnant employees should be treated justly and provided due consideration for their pregnant state. If you are not given reasonable accommodations for your pregnant state, your employer is already in violation of your rights. In which case, you have the right under the above laws to file damages against your employer.

What Not To Do In Case of Discrimination Claims?

A lot of employee victims of discrimination commit the mistake of negotiating their claims on their own. You should know by now that your employer has the resources and connections, which definitely work against your claims. Your employer is also covered by insurance and the insurance adjuster is skilled at scrutinizing your claims to make sure that your claims are either denied or greatly reduced. Also, your employer can hire defense lawyers who are knowledgeable about employment and labor laws and can use their skills in circumventing your rights.

Seek Help from Mesriani Law Group

If you really want to obtain the best claim for your damages, you should seek help from top employment lawyers to help you fight for your rights against your employer. Don’t be afraid about legal costs as there are a lot of lawyers who take on cases on contingency basis and who can definitely provide top notch legal service at practically no cost to you.