The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

The federal civil rights in employment law, known as "Title VII" (for companies

with at least 15 employees) prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or

sex," among other categories.

The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which is part of Title VII, prohibits

an employer from firing, refusing to hire or denying a promotion to a worker on

the basis of pregnancy.

An employer cannot establish "mandatory" maternity leave, and must permit a

pregnant employee to work as long as she can perform the essential functions of

her job.

The job of an employee taking maternity leave must be held open for as long as

jobs are held open for employees on non-pregnancy related disability leave.

Additionally, insurance benefits for pregnancy must be provided to the same

extent as for other medical conditions. Health plans may not exclude maternity

coverage for female employees, nor may they require a greater deductible for

pregnancy related conditions.