An assisted living facility in Mississippi hired an employee to work as a kitchen assistant, and on her first day of work she told her supervisor that she was pregnant. Three hours later she was fired and replaced her with a non-pregnant employee.
The EEOC made these allegations in a new lawsuit and an EEOC attorney said that “Combating pregnancy discrimination remains a priority for this office and we will continue to work to eliminate it until it is no longer an issue.”
On September 23rd we blogged about three new pregnancy discrimination lawsuits filed by the EEOC which demonstrate that the EEOC is serious about pursuing its new agenda set forth in the Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues.
The case above would make a fourth new case — except that the EEOC just announced yet another new case under the PDA. The EEOC sued a Virginia manufacturer on behalf of a female employee who was fired 10 days after she told her employee that she was pregnant. “According to the EEOC’s complaint, Williams’ ability to perform her job was not affected by her pregnancy, and at the time of her discharge she was performing her job at an acceptable level.”
“No working woman should have to fear losing her job simply because she decides to have a child,” said an EEOC attorney.
Nuff said.