Federal Government Sues Walmart for Pregnancy Discrimination
On September 20, 2018, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Walmart in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin for pregnancy discrimination.
The lawsuit alleges that Walmart unlawfully refused to provide Alyssa Gilliam and other pregnant employees at a distribution center in Wisconsin with the same light duty work that it provides to its non-pregnant workers with disabilities, such as lifting lighter loads, a chair, and additional breaks during the workday. The complaint alleges that Walmart’s failure to provide these accommodations resulted in Gilliam losing her benefits, having to reduce her hours from full-time to part-time, and being forced to take unpaid leave two months prior to the birth of her baby when she wanted to work up until the birth.
Employment discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is prohibited by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), which amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law applies to employers with 15 or more employees, and requires them to provide the same reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers as they provide to disabled workers.
"Walmart deprived pregnant workers of the opportunity to participate in its light duty program. This amounted to pregnancy discrimination," said EEOC District Director Julianne Bowman. The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief. Walmart denies the allegations. Two additional class action lawsuits alleging pregnancy discrimination in Walmart’s retail stores have been filed in New York and Illinois.
In addition to the protections provided under federal law by the PDA, both New Jersey and New York have state laws that protect pregnant employees from discrimination by their employers. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) and the New York Human Rights Law (NYHRL) both prohibit discrimination in employment based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The NJLAD applies to all employers regardless of size, and the NYHRL applies to employers with four or more employees.
We will continue to monitor developments in this case.