Could a female employee be fired from a job just for being pregnant? The answer is yes, and depending on the situation, this could be considered pregnancy discrimination. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for employers to try to force an employee out just for being pregnant. A woman in California recently filed a wrongful termination lawsuit after allegedly suffering pregnancy discrimination.
The lawsuit said the woman worked for a restaurant group for over five years and had worked her way up to the highest server position. Allegedly, she had planned to transfer to a location in Napa Valley, a move that was authorized by her manager. The woman said when she arrived in Napa Valley, she learned that there was no job waiting for her. The woman said that a few weeks prior to her move, she informed her superiors that she was pregnant.
The lawsuit alleged that, prior to her move, the plaintiff was forced to sign a resignation letter for her transfer and was told it was routine practice and a job would be waiting for her. However, no other transferring employees were made to sign a resignation letter, the lawsuit claimed. According to claims, the restaurant hired a worker that was not pregnant to fill the position less than two weeks after the plaintiff was let go. The plaintiff claimed that she was discriminated against due to her pregnancy. She seeks $5 million in damages.
In the United States, pregnant employees are protected from discrimination by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. However, this does not stop pregnancy discrimination from occurring. Those in California who have been subjected to any form of discrimination at work could benefit by seeking the services of a knowledgeable employment law attorney.