It is illegal for your employer to discriminate against you on the basis of pregnancy. If you become pregnant and they decide to fire you and replace you with another worker, for example, that could be a violation of your rights. You deserve equal treatment to other employees, regardless of your pregnancy status.
In some cases, this may mean that you experience discrimination before you even become pregnant. For instance, perhaps you are applying for jobs and an employer decides not to hire you because you are a married woman in your mid-20s. That employer believes that you may become pregnant in the next few years and doesn’t want to have to deal with it later, so they just deny you employment in advance.
This is still an example of discrimination, as employers cannot deny women jobs on the grounds that they may become pregnant at some hypothetical point in the future. Pregnancy and related conditions are all protected.
What step should you take?
It can be very frustrating if you find yourself in this position. One of the most important things to do is to document everything. Any communications from the employer, such as voicemail messages, text messages or emails could be helpful. It’s also important to look for a pattern of behavior. If an employer refuses to hire other women in the same situation as you, this helps show that they are intentionally discriminating.
As you move forward, carefully consider all of your legal rights as an employee in the United States and the steps that you can take if you’re facing illegal discrimination on the job.