Regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would protect 2.8 million pregnant workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 26, 2024 – The National Partnership for Women & Families is calling out the recent partisan lawsuit led by 17 states to dismantle important protections under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The bipartisan law protects an estimated 2.8 million pregnant workers, disproportionately Black women who are more likely to work during their pregnancy. In response to the lawsuit against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) regulations, National Partnership for Women & Families President Jocelyn C. Frye released the following statement:

“It’s no coincidence that this organized, partisan effort is occurring in states that have some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, including substantial racial disparities that disproportionately harm Black women,” said Jocelyn C. Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “The bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was passed to increase workplace protections for pregnant workers so that they can make sound health care decisions and not put their health at risk just because they have to go to work. The recently announced regulations from the EEOC align with the intent of Congress to expand and uphold the rights of pregnant people in the workplace and build on 45 years of courts affirming that the plain meaning of ‘pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions’ includes the decision to have or not have an abortion. Partisan attempts to micromanage the health and well-being of pregnant women, or any person who becomes pregnant, are a sad reminder of the blatant disrespect extended to pregnant women when it comes to their ability to control their own bodies and fertility. Any attempt to dismantle these protections will have serious consequences for women’s health, working families, and the ability for women to thrive in the workplace.”

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