Oklahoma Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney
Do you think you didn’t get hired, failed to get a promotion, or were fired, because you were pregnant? If so, you’re not the only one. There are thousands of complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging pregnancy discrimination each year. If you believe you are the subject of pregnancy discrimination, you have legal options. Learn how to recognize pregnancy discrimination, how to prove it in court, and when to contact Bryan & Terrill Law for help.
What Is Pregnancy Discrimination?
Pregnancy discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, and it’s illegal. When an employer treats an applicant or employee differently because she is pregnant, or just had a baby, it’s considered pregnancy discrimination. It can happen at any time during a relationship with an employer, from the hiring process to termination. An employer cannot refuse to hire someone because she is pregnant, nor can they demote them or refuse them a promotion. Firing someone on the condition of pregnancy is also a direct violation of federal law.
It’s important to note that pregnancy discrimination does not give expecting women any special rights; rather, it just prevents employers from treating them differently. However, employers must also make reasonable accommodations when pregnancy keeps a woman from her typical work tasks. For example, an employer might have to give a pregnant worker lighter assignments, if pregnancy keeps her from doing her usual job duties safely.
How to Prove Pregnancy Discrimination
In order to recover damages in a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit, you must be able to prove you were treated differently because of your pregnancy, not any other reason. There are a number of ways to do this, which will depend on the specifics of your case. No matter which method you (or your lawyer) choose, you must provide enough evidence that pregnancy discrimination occurred based on the preponderance of the evidence. In other words, you must show it was more likely than not that discrimination occurred.
- One possible way is showing direct evidence of discrimination. This applies when the employer admits to acting with discriminatory intent – in other words, they said your pregnancy played a role in their decision. While not unheard of, this is much less common than the second type of evidence.
- Circumstantial evidence means that you have enough evidence to let a jury or judge infer discrimination based on the circumstances. An example of circumstantial evidence would be the business deviating from its standard policies, or acting in a way that doesn’t make good business sense. Timing can also be crucial – if you notice your employer acting differently around you shortly after learning of your pregnancy, this could be circumstantial evidence of discrimination.
Your Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney
If you suspect you’ve been a victim of pregnancy discrimination, it’s imperative to contact an attorney as soon as possible. A pregnancy discrimination lawsuit can help you compensate for financial losses, such as extra income you would have earned from a promotion. To learn more about discrimination lawsuits and see if you have legal grounds to a claim, contact us.