Maine and other states considering bills that would require employers to accommodate pregnant workers

The Maine legislature is currently considering a bill that would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant women so that they can continue to perform their jobs despite medical restrictions due to pregnancy. Under current law, employers cannot discriminate against pregnant women because they are pregnant. But if, for instance, a pregnant woman’s doctor gives her a lifting restriction while she is pregnant, an employer does not have to accommodate that restriction unless it provides accommodations to non-pregnant employees under similar circumstances. This new law would require Maine employers to accommodate pregnant workers in the same way they have to accommodate workers with disabilities.

California already requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant women. State legislatures in Maryland and Iowa are also currently considering bills similar to the one in Maine that would require employers to reasonably accommodate pregnant women. Maine’s bill, LD 830, is currently assigned to the Judiciary Committees in the House and Senate.