You find out you’re pregnant. You’re happy and decide to tell your boss, thinking that they will reduce your heavy lifting and support you in the life-changing process that you’re going through. But something bad happens. Your boss turns around and finds reasons for you to be fired, and you truly believe nothing was wrong before you told them that you were pregnant. You lose your job, and have no income to support your child who is not going to wait for you to find another job. You’re stuck, and all you can do is hope that you find another job that you will be able to do.

More and more women in America are finding themselves in this position. If you believe that you have been fired because you are pregnant, you need to know your rights and what to do about it.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

The pregnancy discrimination act was developed to protect the rights of women who are pregnant, or are suffering from a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth. The act states that:

- An employer cannot refuse to hire you because you are pregnant
- Pregnant employees must still have the opportunity to work, as long as they can still fulfill their work requirements
- An employer cannot tell a pregnant woman that they have to take a certain amount of time off work after their child is born - it is up to the mother how soon she wishes to return to work
- If a pregnant employee needs to take leave for a pregnancy-related illness, the employer needs to hold the job open for them so that they are able to return. Pregnant employees need to be treated in exactly the same manner as an ill employee would be treated.

So in short, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act ensures that employers treat pregnant employees just the same as they would treat any other employee.

If you have been fired and are pregnant, you need to consider two things:

- If you weren’t pregnant, would you still have been fired? It is very important to consider your performance throughout your pregnancy, and whether you still would have been fired if you performed in the same manner but weren’t pregnant.
- Were you treated in the same way as all other employees who weren’t pregnant? You need to think about your company’s guidelines and regulations, and whether they have adhered to them.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, the next step for you to take is to contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or an employee rights attorney. Make sure you find out your rights for your specific circumstance, and act upon them. Don’t wait. This needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.