Tesia, a retail store employee in Missouri, called us when she needed to carry a water bottle as an accommodation due to her pregnancy. The hot temperature at her work station, combined with her pregnancy, resulted in severe dehydration and she was only given the option of unpaid leave. Tesia had recently taken a month of unpaid emergency COVID-19 leave beforehand due to her high risk pregnancy, and could not afford to take another leave without pay. As a result, her requests were denied and she was pushed off the job.
Tesia’s story was shared during a Congressional hearing about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and uplifted during a Congressional briefing on the impact of climate change on maternal health outcomes.
