The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a new federal law that went into effect June 27, 2023, and requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer undue hardship. The PWFA applies only to accommodations; existing laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) make it illegal to fire or otherwise discriminate against workers on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The PWFA does not replace federal, state or local laws that are more protective of workers affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
The EEOC will issue regulations by December 29, 2023. See the PWFA poster and the updated Equal Employment Opportunity poster on the Mandated Posters webpage to learn more.
— Posted July 11, 2023