Discrimination is in the news every day in one form or another, and its effect in the workplace can be devastating to employees and their livelihood. We’ve updated our pages in areas of discrimination law that have been front and center in the news and in the workplace.  Updates have been made to our pages on Pregnancy Discrimination, Family Responsibilities Discrimination, and Gender Identity Discrimination.  We’ve also added a new page with information about the rapidly growing body of State and Local Paid Sick Leave laws.

The case of brought pregnancy discrimination into the lime light last year.  The case, argued before the Supreme Court in December 2014, asks to what extent the   requires that employers give accommodations to pregnant employees.  In Ms. Young’s case, UPS refused to limit the amount of weight she was required to carry during her pregnancy.  As a result she was forced to take unpaid leave and ultimately lost her health insurance.  This type of predicament is all too common for pregnant women in the workforce.  Our updated Pregnancy Discrimination page explains the scope and level of protection that various federal laws might offer to pregnant women.  It also explains what employers can and cannot do with respect to the many pregnancy related issues that women in the workplace face.  It covers pregnancy-related medical leave, work accommodations, parental leave after pregnancy, recovery from terminated pregnancies, paid or unpaid time off, and health insurance.

Transgender and Gender Identity rights are another issue on the forefront of the news these days.  While acceptance and understanding of the rights of transgender people seem to be increasing in the public, employers and companies don’t always keep up with the times.  Gender identity issues can be most difficult to deal with in the workplace, especially if your employer doesn’t acknowledge or properly deal with problems.  We’ve made extensive updates to our page on Gender Identity Discrimination to provide as much information as possible for transgender workers, as well as for companies looking to develop policies and procedures to effectively address gender identity issues.  This area of law is quickly changing and developing on the state and local level, and somewhat more slowly at the federal level.  The Gender Identity Discrimination page will help fill you in on the current state of the law, and also direct you to more information on this important issue.

The definition of Family Responsibilities has certainly changed over the decades.  Employers in the U.S. have continued to place more importance on work/life balance, but workers continue to face significant obstacles in this area.  Our new updated page on Family Responsibilities Discrimination provides information about how existing laws may protect you against discrimination based on your status as a parent, spouse, or caregiver.  It is important for employees and employers to understand what personal information can and cannot be the basis for employment decisions.

This year, President Obama has of paid sick leave laws. As the President and others urge Congress to pass federal laws providing for paid sick leave to employees, states and localities have also begun to heed the call and pass their own laws. See our NEW page on State and Local Paid Sick Leave Laws for information on which jurisdictions are leading the charge, and see what different approaches each jurisdiction is taking.

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About the Author: Shannon Rusz is a general practice litigation attorney in Annapolis, Maryland. She currently serves as the content manager for WorkplaceFairness.org.  Shannon received her law degree from George Washington University Law School in 2012