As this blog has discussed on previous occasions, employers in the Fresno area must afford pregnant workers certain rights and protection, including the right to be free from discrimination based on pregnancy.
A previous post went over some of these rights as they are enshrined in federal law, which of course applies in both California and the other states. However, California law actually gives some additional rights to pregnant workers or, in other cases, expands upon rights already provided under federal law.
One of the most important of these rights is the right for pregnant California workers to take a special unpaid leave of up to about four months, should they become unable to work because of their pregnancy. While this leave is not necessarily paid, it does protect a woman’s job should she have to be home resting or undergoing some other treatment on account of her pregnancy. She cannot be punished in any way for taking this leave.
Moreover, California requires employers to provide new moms with the time and personal space they need in order to nurse or pump breast milk in private.
As this blog has discussed previously, California law may give moms-to-be some extra protection against pregnancy discrimination so they can both parent in the way they wish and keep their jobs and careers. However, there are certain legal requirements and nuances about which an employee needs to be aware, and some of these might not be self-evident.
For this and other reasons, many expecting mothers who have questions about their workplace rights under California law may wish to speak with an attorney with experience handling pregnancy-related employment law issues.