Massachusetts says yes!
An amendment to the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act requires employers to accommodate pregnant workers.
According to the law, some accommodations that may be necessary for pregnant workers, include:
- more frequent or longer breaks;
- time off;
- acquisition or modification of equipment or seating;
- temporary transfers;
- job restructuring;
- light duty;
- private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk;
- assistance with manual labor; or
- a modified work schedule.
The amendment goes into effect April 1, 2018 (less than 9 months away). Massachusetts is not the first state to expressly expand this protection to pregnant workers (and likely will not be the last). Click here to read more about this Massachusetts law.