A Difficult Pregnancy Shouldn’t Affect Your Employment Status

Not everyone has an easy pregnancy, but even a normal pregnancy will affect your employment in some ways. However, the way in which it can’t affect your job is your boss’s reaction. Your employer can’t discriminate against you in any fashion because of your pregnancy.

Your employer may even be required to provide you with certain accommodations during your pregnancy. This could even involve moving you into a different position temporarily. However, you should return to your original position when you return to work after the birth. If you are having a particularly difficult pregnancy, you may need to take time off work in order to deal with the issue. You are entitled to take that time.

What accommodations am I entitled to during my pregnancy?

Reasonable accommodations include those things that help keep you and your unborn child safe and comfortable while you are working. These may include many things, such as one or more of the following:

• More frequent or longer breaks
• A chair or stool
• Less strenuous duties

This is not an exhaustive list of the accommodations you may need or that your employer may provide you. You can discuss other assistance with your employer.

You can get time off for pregnancy issues

As mentioned above, California law provides for something called pregnancy disability leave. If you suffer from a condition during your pregnancy that requires you to be off work, you can take up to four months. Your employer can require you to use your paid sick time first, but can’t require you to use your vacation time. You do not have to be employed for a certain amount of time or work a certain number of hours to use this type of leave.

Whether you receive payment for this time off depends on your employer’s temporary disability policies. In addition, if that policy allows for more than four months, you may take that same amount of time if necessary. You also do not have to take all of the time at once. You may use it to modify your work hours or work week. You may decide to take several days in a row at certain times, or you may take it all at once if you need to do so.

If your employer fails to provide you with reasonable accommodations or attempts to deny you pregnancy disability leave, you may file a complaint. The law affords these rights to you, and if your employer is subject to the laws regarding pregnancy discrimination and disability, you should receive them. If you need help obtaining what you need in order to work while pregnant, it is available.