Is It Pregnancy Discrimination If You Aren’t Pregnant?

Especially in our youth-obsessed culture, most women do not think of menopause as a relief.  The hot flashes, insomnia, and inexplicable bad moods are no one’s idea of a good time.  The social consequences are worse than the physical ones, though.  You must cope with the fact that your parents will not be around for much longer.  If you have children, you must also cope with the fact that they are growing up, and the level of involvement you have in their lives is up to them, not up to you.  One thing you don’t have to worry about after menopause, though, is the constant questions about whether you are pregnant or whether you plan to have children in the future.  In other words, you may face sex discrimination and age discrimination in the workplace, but you no longer have to worry about pregnancy discrimination.  As for women of reproductive age, they can face pregnancy discrimination even when they are not pregnant.  If you are not pregnant but your coworkers will not stop talking about your reproductive health, contact a Los Angeles discrimination and harassment lawyer.

If Coworkers Imply That You Look or Act Pregnant, It Is Sexual Harassment

In a recent article in Business Insider, a married woman in her 30s wrote about an experience of harassment at work.  The author returned to work after a brief illness-related absence, and a female coworker asked her if she was pregnant.  This comment made the woman uncomfortable; she gets lots of comments about her reproductive plans, as do many women her age, but she did not expect to hear this from a colleague at work.  After considering the decision and discussing matters with her husband, the woman told human resources about the coworker’s inappropriate comment, but she did not pursue a formal complaint, since it was an isolated incident.

Comments to the effect that you look or act pregnant are not pregnancy discrimination as such, but may constitute sexual harassment, and sexual harassment at work is a form of employment discrimination.  It doesn’t matter if the person who made the comments is a mother herself, and it does not matter whether you are currently pregnant or already have children.  Unwelcome comments about a person’s body or physical appearance or about gender stereotypes are sexual harassment.  If it becomes a pattern, then it is a hostile work environment.  It is also clearly a case of discrimination if supervisors give you a negative performance review because you allegedly look pregnant, act hormonal, or do or do not give off a maternal vibe.

Speak With a Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Lawyer

A Los Angeles employment discrimination and retaliation lawyer can represent you in employment discrimination cases if your coworkers make unwelcome comments about your physical appearance or family status.  Contact Litigation, P.C. in Redondo Beach, California to discuss your situation or call (424)284-2401.

Source:

msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/career/my-coworker-asked-if-i-was-pregnant-and-i-wasn-t-the-confrontation-made-me-spiral-and-i-debated-whether-to-tell-my-boss/ar-AA1ueOYp?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=81ae4de578764bc3ab3e10e767d7307d&ei=16