In “One I Didn’t Want to miss news, ” a new federal law takes effect on June 27. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers with more than 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers, those recovering from childbirth, and those who need to pump breast milk at work. From Axios:
For example, a pregnant warehouse worker might need light duty if a doctor has restricted the amount of weight the employee can lift. A retail worker may need extra bathroom breaks or to carry a bottle of water on the store floor; a cashier might ask to sit on a stool while working.
Pregnant workers typically need time off to go to the doctor — or, if they wear uniforms at work, they’ll need new clothes.
AND
The law may also effectively be a backdoor expansion of maternity leave in the U.S.
That’s because workers can request leave to recover from childbirth — even those who don’t qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act (the federal law that guarantees unpaid family leave to certain qualifying workers).
Fifteen employees isn’t that large, so many companies may need to be gearing up to support this. At one level, it’s very tactical.
Strategically, however, it’s about this benefit being added to the floor. Even in companies smaller than fifteen, you are competing with this benefit. The floor has risen.
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