Pregnant women have the right to work in an environment that does not discriminate or harass them on the basis of their pregnancy. Federal and state laws protect Bay Area employees from pregnancy discrimination, yet some women still experience this type of unacceptable treatment. One California-based Netflix employee is accusing the large streaming service provider of treating her unfairly because of her pregnancy.
This employee worked with the company in a development capacity. When she informed her boss that she was pregnant, he began to treat her differently, ultimately terminating her at the end of last year. She believes that this was because of her pregnancy, yet the company claims that it reviewed the situation and determined the firing was based on legal grounds, not due to discrimination.
In her allegations against Netflix, the woman claims that she began to experience mistreatment once she explained to her boss that her sickness and overall fatigue was because she was pregnant. She claims that her boss began to exclude her from meetings related to her role at the company and made disparaging remarks about her appearance. She said that she reported the situation to human resources, who told her to discuss the issue with her boss.
Pregnancy discrimination in any form is unacceptable. This situation is an example of how Bay Area companies will often strive to protect their interests above all else, especially when facing allegations of employee mistreatment. Employees may find it helpful to seek legal counsel regarding their legal options and how they can take specific steps to hold their employers accountable for discriminatory treatment.
