Compliance Stuff

With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approaching, employers may want to consider the benefits and protections afforded to employees who become pregnant or welcome a child to the family, as well as the employer’s legal responsibilities. Quick Hits Federal and state laws prohibit employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on pregnancy. Employers may be required to provide leave and reasonable accommodations for employees experiencing pregnancy or childbirth, undergoing fertility treatments, or breastfeeding. Applying benefits and accommodations consistently can help employers reduce legal risk.   Legal Protections Several federal laws provide benefits and protect pregnant workers from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace. In 1978, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit employment discrimination based on pregnancy. Many states have similar laws providing benefits and legal protections for p...

Seyfarth Synopsis:   While we viewed the EEOC’s Fiscal Year 2024 as “ sluggish ,” the Commission entered FY 2025 with a hefty budget, a brimming pipeline of charges, and a Democratic majority of Commissioners, suggesting a robust year of EEOC-initiated litigation was on the way. The EEOC’s fiscal year closed today , and what promised to be an watershed year was anything but.  The Trump Administration’s swiftly implemented leadership changes, budget cuts, and dramatic shift in priorities led to a roller-coaster for field staff and employers alike. Ultimately, the EEOC filed just 93 lawsuits in FY 2025, marking a ten-year low in Commission litigation activity. Despite a notable pullback in litigation activity, a close analysis of FY 2025 filings can help employers identify the EEOC’s priority areas and understand what to expect going forward. In previous administrations, the EEOC’s litigation arm was extraordinarily active, filing as many as 300 merit lawsuits in a given year. T...