Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Running Head: Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Michelle C. Nelson
Strayer University: Human Resource Management - BUS310002016*201004
Instructor: Carol G. Durst-Wertheim, Ph.D.
Abstract
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 is an amendment to the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Under the act, an employer cannot lawfully refuse to hire a woman if she is pregnant unless her condition makes it impossible for her to perform the major functions of the position. I think this amendment was a great achievement for all woman trying to show they are equals to men, while still trying to raise a family. Has this amendment made it so that woman are equals to men fairly?
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Trying to find employment while being pregnant is one of the most frustrating activities a woman will ever undertake. It is hard enough to be pregnant when things are going great, yet it gets a lot harder if you suddenly find yourself in desperate need to find new employment to either make ends meet, or simply to replace a job that you lost. In a day and age when mergers, downsizing and outsourcing pull out the rug from under families it is not surprising to find many job hunting. Sadly, a woman’s odds of being hired while pregnant are slim to none. This has nothing to do with her skill sets, her salary requirements, or even her availability to work, but instead is oftentimes mired in the employer’s antiquated fear of losing an employee when a child is expected.
While this is a frustrating experience, until 1978 there used to be incidences where employers would fire women solely because they were pregnant. Woman would be passed over for a promotion because they were of childbearing age, or recently got married, and it is not surprising that this finally reached Congress. The court distinguished between the
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Michelle C. Nelson
Strayer University: Human Resource Management - BUS310002016*201004
Instructor: Carol G. Durst-Wertheim, Ph.D.
Abstract
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 is an amendment to the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Under the act, an employer cannot lawfully refuse to hire a woman if she is pregnant unless her condition makes it impossible for her to perform the major functions of the position. I think this amendment was a great achievement for all woman trying to show they are equals to men, while still trying to raise a family. Has this amendment made it so that woman are equals to men fairly?
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
Trying to find employment while being pregnant is one of the most frustrating activities a woman will ever undertake. It is hard enough to be pregnant when things are going great, yet it gets a lot harder if you suddenly find yourself in desperate need to find new employment to either make ends meet, or simply to replace a job that you lost. In a day and age when mergers, downsizing and outsourcing pull out the rug from under families it is not surprising to find many job hunting. Sadly, a woman’s odds of being hired while pregnant are slim to none. This has nothing to do with her skill sets, her salary requirements, or even her availability to work, but instead is oftentimes mired in the employer’s antiquated fear of losing an employee when a child is expected.
While this is a frustrating experience, until 1978 there used to be incidences where employers would fire women solely because they were pregnant. Woman would be passed over for a promotion because they were of childbearing age, or recently got married, and it is not surprising that this finally reached Congress. The court distinguished between the
References: Dessler, G. (2008). BUS310: Human resource management: 2008 custom edition (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. EEOC.gov. Laws:Pregnancy. Retrieved June 3, 2010, http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/pregnancy.cfm Finduslaw.com. Civil Right Act of 1964. Retrieved June 3, 2010, http://finduslaw.com/civil_rights_act_of_1964_cra_title_vii_equal_employment_oppo rtunities_42_us_code_chapter_21 Table 1   Pregnancy Discrimination Act