The law amended Title VII to make it illegal to discriminate against a women because of pregnancy or other pregnancy related issues.  The employer can not discriminate against hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, and training and benefits.  The law also makes it illegal to retaliate a person who complains, files charges or participants in an employment investigation or lawsuit about pregnancy discrimination.

According to the EEOC over the past decade the number of pregnancy discrimination charges has increased by 35%.  The current status is 1 in 5 charges filed involve claims of pregnancy discrimination.  Pregnancy discrimination happens in all fields with health care leading them.

www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/index.cfm

I watched a Tedx Talk video on pregnancy discrimination in my HRM/300 class and the speaker used a personal example of a previous job interview.  The women said that she was asked at the end of the employment and experience related questions.  It came up that she was getting married in a few months.  The interviewer said oh are you going to start a family soon?  She said that if had been her husband they would have said how nice and not asked him if he was going to start a family.  That is a double standard.

TedxTalk Taking back your pregnancy rights by Renee Coover