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...

The EEOC hasn’t been shy about l aunching litigation against employers that haven’t met their accommodation obligations since the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act took full effect. A review of the agency’s PWFA enforcement actions since its final rule took effect in June 2024 reveals that the EEOC will not tolerate forced leaves of absence, ignored interactive process obligations, rigid attendance policies, and flatly denied basic accommodations. By familiarizing yourself with the top five enforcement trends we’ve uncovered through a thorough review of the EEOC’s litigation activity, you can shape your PWFA compliance strategy to meet the moment. General Overview of the PWFA The Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act (PWFA), which took effect in June 2023, implemented a n ew requirement for covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for a qualified employee’s known limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless such an accommodation would cause the em...

KEY TAKEAWAYS: A recent federal court case provides guidance on how to address an employee’s request for an accommodation based upon a sincerely held religious belief Employers must offer reasonable accommodations for the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees who seek exemptions from certain mandates and policies In addressing the request for a reasonable accommodation, employers should not address the validity or plausibility of the employee’s belief Employers may consider if the sincerely held religious belief is based upon secular beliefs by evaluating how the employee frames their request, but still, employers should do so cautiously A recent federal court case heard by Chief Judge Matthew Brann for the Middle District of Pennsylvania provides employers with guidance on how to address an employee’s request for an accommodation based upon a sincerely held religious belief. In  Rackovan v. The Pennsylvania State University , the employee sought to be exempted from the uni...

As return-to-office mandates rise, so, too, do employee requests for telework accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On February 11, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released  guidance  titled “Frequently Asked Questions from the Federal Sector about Telework Accommodations for Disabilities” (FAQs), which address federal government agencies’ rights and obligations regarding providing, modifying, and denying telework as a reasonable accommodation for federal employees with disabilities under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Although the EEOC issued the guidance in the federal-sector context in the wake of President Donald Trump’s  directive  that federal agencies return employees to full-time, in-person work, the FAQs reflect principles that apply equally to private employers under the ADA. 00:00 10:45 Quick Hits The EEOC issued FAQs to assist federal agencies in implementing President Trump’s return-to-of...