EEOC issues proposed rule for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday issued a proposed rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which took effect June 27.

The proposed regulation was posted by the Federal Register on Monday and will be published for public comment in the register on Aug. 11. Members of the public will then have 60 days to comment on the proposal.

The PWFA, which was signed into law by President Biden last year, requires private employers with 15 or more workers to provide reasonable accommodations for limitations related to childbirth or related conditions unless they will cause the employer undue hardship.

The EEOC has said that accommodations under the law may include the ability to sit or drink water, receive closer parking and have flexible hours.

Observers have said the PWFA is intended to fill gaps that may have been left by existing federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.