Bay Area residents may have shopped at a party supply store to gear up for a fun event. Such stores can make it easy to get everything you need to throw together the perfect gathering. The men and women who work at these stores surely do their best to help customers find just the right items, and they keep the shelves well-stocked with goodies for all occasions. Recently, it became public knowledge that one such store, Party City, which is a chain store with many locations nationwide, was found to have committed pregnancy discrimination against some employees.
Employers are not allowed to treat an employee unfairly just because she becomes pregnant. If a pregnancy renders an employee unable to complete her regular workload, the employer must find alternative tasks for the employee, much like they would be required to do for an employee who suffered from some sort of disability or other physical limitation. In one of Party City’s stores, a woman was fired after she became pregnant and requested accommodations to make it possible for her to continue working with a pregnancy-related complication.
The employee’s request fell on deaf ears, and she was fired less than a year after she had begun to work for the company. Even though the woman was able to provide documentation from medical professionals backing her request, the employer did not act in accordance with the law. As a result, Party City had to pay the victim $39,000 as compensation for her suffering and lost wages.
If a Bay Area employee suspects pregnancy discrimination is a problem at his or her place of employment, it might be a good idea to contact an experienced attorney. An attorney can help a client make sure that employees are treated in accordance with the law and help ensure that employees’ rights are protected. If a victim is entitled to monetary damages, an attorney can help collect what is owed and bring the employer that broke the law to justice.
