By Valerie Jarrettupdated 1:55 PM EDT, Sun July 20, 2014More than 30 years since the Pregnancy Discr...

1. Opinion: We must end pregnancy discrimination
By Valerie Jarrett
updated 1:55 PM EDT, Sun July 20, 2014
More than 30 years since the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, many pregnant women still experience
unfair challenges on the job.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Valerie Jarrett says pregnant working women shouldn't be discriminated against
Jarrett: Pregnant women still experience unnecessary challenges on the job
With women as nearly half the workforce, we can't afford to treat them unfairly, she says
Editor's note: Valerie Jarrett is senior White House adviser to President Obama, assistant to the
President for public engagement and intergovernmental affairs and chair of the White House
Council on Women and Girls. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the
author.
(CNN) -- More than 30 years ago, Congress wisely passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Yet
today, many pregnant women still experience unfair and unnecessary challenges on the job.
Nondiscrimination has been the law of the land for over three decades, yet, in some workplaces, the
standard for treatment of pregnant women has remained in the dark ages. Some are fired or
demoted, with no hesitation, when a modest accommodation would allow them to continue to work
and support their families.
The stories are heart-wrenching and preventable. There's the pregnant woman who was terminated
when, in violation of company policy, she started carrying a water bottle on advice of her doctor to
fight urinary and bladder infections.
Valerie Jarrett
Or the store clerk who was fired when her physician restricted her to lifting only lighter loads due to
her pregnancy, even though during the course of work she rarely needed to lift heavier weights.
I vividly remember early on in my career when I was eight months pregnant, working literally

2. around the clock, and worrying that each trip to the restroom or my need to catch the occasional
catnap was causing my colleagues to question whether I could keep up.
In so many cases, modest accommodations -- adjustments that readily might be made for other
employees -- are denied pregnant women, forcing expectant moms to choose between their health
and that of their pregnancies, and their jobs.
With women composing nearly half the American workforce and increasingly serving as the primary
breadwinner for families, we can't afford to treat pregnant women differently than their
counterparts, especially when slight job modifications could help them stay in the workforce at no
risk to their health.
That's why this week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued much-needed
enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination. It is the first comprehensive update of the
commission's guidance in more than 30 years and will translate into real relief for countless women,
especially low-income women who are working hard to support their families.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama hosted a White House Summit on Working Families that
focused on the need for 21st century workplaces to adapt to the needs of the 21st century workforce
with policies that are good for both families and employers.
Working parents, working families and expectant workers are vital members of our workforce.
Ensuring their success is how we maintain our global economic advantage.
As EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien made clear when releasing the guidance, pregnancy is not a
justification for excluding women from jobs that they are otherwise qualified to perform, and
certainly should not be a basis for treating women less favorably than other similarly situated
workers.
The EEOC is helping employees and job seekers learn more about their rights. And, as importantly,

3. it is helping employers -- the vast majority of which want to do the right thing and only need the
technical assistance to do so -- understand their obligations.
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