The PWFA ensures women don’t have to choose between their jobs and a healthy pregnancy—but too many still don’t know their rights.
This essay is a part of our latest installment of Women & Democracy all about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)—a groundbreaking civil rights law ensuring pregnant and postpartum workers have the right to reasonable workplace accommodations. Bipartisan, pro-family and boldly feminist, the PWFA is both a lesson in democracy and a battleground for its defense against antidemocratic attacks. The multimedia project, “The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Essential to Democracy,” was produced in partnership with A Better Balance and explores the decade-long fight for the law’s passage, its impact—particularly on women in low-wage jobs and women of color—and the legal and organizing strategies shaping its future.
When I was pregnant and working as a custodian in South Carolina, my employer sent me home after I asked for some simple changes to protect my health. My doctor gave me a note to give to my employer requesting limits on lifting heavy objects and climbing, plus some extra breaks. My boss told me I wouldn’t be able to come back to work until those restrictions were lifted, so I wouldn’t be able to keep working during my pregnancy, which I had planned to do.
Going without pay simply wasn’t an option. As I got ready to welcome a child and expand my family, having a paycheck was more important than ever. Especially given basic needs like groceries and diapers were getting more and more expensive, losing my income for this time period would have been devastating.
Since my requests were so simple, I wasn’t expecting my employer to tell me to stop working. I was blindsided, made to feel like I was the one who did something wrong. I knew what happened to me wasn’t fair, but I also started to feel guilty for simply needing help.
Looking for answers, I came across A Better Balance’s free legal helpline. They told me about a new law called the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which required that workers in my situation receive accommodations—including changes to their usual work duties—to stay healthy and on the job.
I used the materials A Better Balance sent me, which included a sample letter to fill out, to inform my employer of the legal obligation to meet my needs. Human resources asked me to meet with them right away; in the meeting, the HR representative said he had never heard of the law, which really surprised me.
The PWFA saved my family financially. Because I was able to keep working, I was able to afford groceries, diapers and rent.
He read my letter aloud, and said, “Based on this, you can come back to work tomorrow if you want.” I returned to work with the adjustments I needed, and worked right up until I had my baby. On top of this, my employer put up posters—one by every time clock—about the PWFA, so that other workers who might need pregnancy accommodations would know about it.
The PWFA saved my family financially. Because I was able to keep working, I was able to afford groceries, diapers and rent. As a first time mom, I was especially concerned about the costs of benefits, like health insurance, dental and vision, which would have cost me more than $600 per month. Without a job, even keeping my healthcare would have been financially impossible.
I’m relieved to know that other pregnant workers in my situation will also be able to get the help they need in their workplace. Having a baby isn’t a sickness. Many pregnant workers just like me are perfectly able to keep doing their jobs, they just need to be a little more careful at work. For women like me in very physical jobs, this is even more important. Taking a few extra breaks at work, or having a stool to sit on or access to a water bottle, or avoiding heavy lifting barely costs an employer anything, but it can make a world of difference for a pregnant worker’s health and ability to keep earning money. This also keeps workers in their jobs and saves employers from having to manage turnover every time a worker has a baby, which is better for business.
Having a baby isn’t a sickness. Many pregnant workers just like me are perfectly able to keep doing their jobs, they just need to be a little more careful at work.
Getting the support I needed made me realize that I wasn’t wrong and that I wasn’t alone. I’m now on a mission to spread the word about the PWFA. It’s important that pregnant workers across the country know that this law exists, and that they have rights at work.
Since it took effect in 2023, countless women like me have had their livelihoods saved by the PWFA. Everyone needs to know their rights; what good is a law if we are not actually using it? I’m grateful that there are advocates and organizations like A Better Balance making sure we can share our stories so more families will be helped by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
