I recently posted about a drastic increase in the number of EEOC pregnancy discrimination charges filed in the last decade. Given those numbers, the news from the EEOC this last week is not surprising.
On August 7, 2009, the EEOC sued Decker Transport for pregnancy discrimination. According to the complaint (download here), Decker discriminated against a 30-year-old Detroit woman based on her sex and pregnancy. After she informed her employer of her pregnancy after a trip to a hospital emergency room the employer. The company allegedly put her on temporary leave and told her not to return to work until after she “got rid of the problem.” When the female worker refused, the company terminated her employment. (See EEOC press release here). I will be keeping up with this case and hopefully posting updates here when they are available.
The EEOC also announced on August 14, 2009 that it has reached a resolution of a Texas pregnancy discrimination lawsuit. (See press release here) Austin-based Time Insurance Agency (TIA) refused to hire a pregnant female applicant for an administrative assistant position because she was pregnant. Apparently this woman was selected for an interview and then invited back for a follow-up meeting with a manager of “the department where she would be working.” At this follow-up meeting, the woman disclosed that she was pregnant. The company thanked her for being honest and immediately rejected her for hire. The case settled for $30,000.00 plus a two-year consent decree, which requires the company to institute a new policy and undergo EEO training.
