平等就业机会委员会发布影响雇主必须如何对待怀孕工人的规则

去年, 国会通过了怀孕工人公平法案(PWFA), which requires employers in the private sector with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to, 受, 或者是由于怀孕引起的, 分娩, 或者“相关的医疗状况”,除非这种安排会对雇主的经营造成不适当的困难. 而其他法律禁止基于怀孕的歧视, the PWFA requires employers to accommodate such matters even if the medical conditions are transitory and not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

就像联邦立法经常发生的那样, 《皇冠搏彩APP下载》本身可作任何解释, and Congress left it to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to fill in the gaps by cr吃 new enforcement regulations in a “final rule.“经过数月的公众评论和审查, 平等就业机会委员会于4月19日公布了408页的《皇冠搏彩APP下载》, 2024, 并将于6月18日生效, 2024.

虽然与《皇冠线上买球平台》相似，但《皇冠线上买球平台》的要求比《皇冠线上买球平台》更为严格

而《皇冠搏彩APP下载》的流程和要求与《皇冠线上买球平台》相似, 这两部法律之间有显著的差别.

1. 员工的“已知限制”可能是次要的.

首先，根据《皇冠线上买球平台》，“已知限制”比《皇冠线上买球平台》所涵盖的残疾范围更广.  它必须是精神或身体上的障碍，但不需要很严重.  限制可以包括未成年人, 一般条件，只要符合法规的其他要求. 事实上, 根据平等就业机会委员会, an employee can request an accommodation to reduce increased pain or risk to the employee’s health that is related to pregnancy, 分娩, 或者相关的情况.

2. 工人只需要提供限制和需要调整的通知.

第二个, 就像美国残疾人协会, the limitations must also be “known” by the employer through communications by the employee or the employee’s representative, 虽然不需要特定的语言.  在本质上, 住宿要求只要求雇员向雇主提供通知，说明雇员有限制和, 结果是, 需要调整或改变工作.  This triggers the employer’s duty to enter into an interactive dialogue with the employee in an attempt to find an acceptable accommodation.

3. 怀孕的定义很宽泛.

平等就业机会委员会对《皇冠搏彩APP下载》内的词语作出广义的定义. “怀孕”可以指现在怀孕、过去怀孕或计划怀孕. "相关医疗状况"包括流产, 死胎, 堕胎, 不孕不育, 生育治疗, 泌乳, 避孕措施, 月经周期, 产后抑郁症, 妊娠期糖尿病, 激素水平的变化, 以及许多其他类似的情况. 这些条件甚至可以包括常见条件, 比如慢性偏头痛, 高血压, 和尿失禁, 只要与怀孕和分娩有关或因怀孕和分娩而加重.

4. 与ADA不同，PWFA不要求员工在短期内能够履行工作职能.

《皇冠线上买球平台》和《皇冠搏彩APP下载》的另一个区别是如何定义雇员“合格”.比如美国残疾人协会, the PWFA defines a qualified employee or applicant is one who can perform the essential functions of the employment position with or without an accommodation.  的PWFA, 然而, 有时间吗?, 更严格的定义是，即使员工不能履行工作的基本职能, they are still considered “qualified” if (i) the inability to perform the essential function is temporary; (ii) the employee should be able to perform the essential function “in the near future,(iii)可以合理地适应暂时丧失能力的情况.  平等就业机会委员会将“在不久的将来”定义为从一项基本职能开始临时暂停后的40周.  本质上, 然后, 《皇冠搏彩APP下载》规定，如有需要，可暂停雇员的一项或多项基本职能.  这不是, 然而, mean that the essential functions of a pregnant employee must always suspended for 40 weeks or every accommodation request seeking a suspension for 40 weeks must be granted.

互动过程和过度困难与ADA相似

就像ADA一样, 雇主应该参与一个互动的过程，以探索可能的住宿. 最后的规则 does not require an employer to provide an employee’s requested accommodation if a reasonable alternative is available, 但如果员工要求的住宿确实造成了不适当的困难, 雇主必须考虑任何不会造成不当困难的替代方案.

最终规则亦提供了几个在《皇冠搏彩APP下载》下可能提供合理便利的例子, which include but are not limited to: (i) job restructuring; (ii) modified work schedules; (iii) more frequent breaks for use of the restroom, 喝, 吃, and/or resting; (iv) modification of equipment, 制服, or devices; (v) use of paid leave and additional unpaid leave; (vi) light duty; (vii) telework; (viii) temporary suspension of one or more essential functions of the job; (ix) reserved parking spaces; and (x) “other similar accommodations.”

《皇冠线上买球平台》遵循《皇冠线上买球平台》中“过度困难”的定义, which requires significant difficulty or expense for the employer’s operations and focuses on the resources and circumstances of the particular employer in relationship to the cost or difficulty of providing a specific accommodation. 最后的规则, 然而, adds additional factors that may be considered when determining whether the temporary suspension of an essential function causes an undue hardship.  These include (i) consideration of the length of time that the employee will be unable to perform the essential function(s); (ii) whether there is work for the employee to accomplish; (iii) the nature of the essential function, including its frequency; (iv) whether the employer has provided other employees in similar positions who are unable to perform the essential function(s) of their positions with temporary suspensions of those functions and other duties; (v) if necessary, 是否有其他员工, 临时员工, or third parties who can perform or be temporarily hired to perform the essential function(s) in question; and (vi) whether the essential function(s) can be postponed or remain unperformed for any length of time and, 如果是这样的话, 要多久?.

平等就业机会委员会已发出警告, 然而, that the following modifications “virtually always found to be reasonable accommodations that do not impose an undue hardship: (i) carrying water and 喝 it as needed; (ii) allowing additional restroom breaks; (iii) allowing sitting for those whose work requires standing and standing for those whose work requires sitting; and (iv) allowing breaks as needed to eat and drink.

雇主可以违反法律，“不合理地”要求证明文件

根据最终规则, an employer is not required to seek supporting documentation from an employee or applicant who requests an accommodation under the PWFA. 然而, 雇主是否需要这些文件, it is only permitted to do so if it is reasonable to require documentation under the circumstances for the employer to determine whether the employee (or applicant) has a physical or mental condition related to, 受, 或者是由于怀孕引起的, 分娩, 或相关的健康状况(限制)，并且由于限制需要改变或调整工作.  如有关要求在有关情况下不合理，即违反《皇冠搏彩APP下载》.  作为解释性指导的一部分, the EEOC provides that one such situation where the seeking of documentation would be unreasonable would be when “(1) the known limitation and need for reasonable accommodation are obvious; and (2) the employee confirms the obvious limitation and need for reasonable accommodation through self-attestation.简单地说, 如果一名雇员告诉雇主她怀孕了，并且正在“露出来”,，那么文档就没有必要了.

PWFA禁止报复和威胁

最后, the PWFA prohibits retaliation against any employee or applicant because they have opposed acts or practices made unlawful by the PWFA or who has made a charge, 作证, 协助, 或以任何方式参与调查, 进行, 或根据《皇冠搏彩APP下载》进行聆讯.  最后的规定还禁止胁迫, 恐吓, 威胁, or interference with any individual in exercising their rights under the PWFA or in aiding or encouraging others to exercise their rights under the PWFA.

上述的检讨并非是对《皇冠线上买球平台》的全面检讨.  最终规则包括许多附加要求、示例和限制.  Employers are encouraged to seek qualified legal counsel before taking any actions against an employee that may be related to or arise from that employee’s pregnancy or related condition. 

杰夫•威尔逊 是皇冠搏彩APP下载 & 懦弱的股东专注于劳动法事务, 包括咨询和商业诉讼.