Inspired by an A Better Balance Op-Ed in The New York Times, Congress first introduced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in 2012. A Better Balance worked with legislators to draft the bill and we are one of the leaders in the campaign to make the PWFA a reality.
The PWFA ensures pregnant workers will not be fired unnecessarily or denied reasonable job modifications that will keep them working while maintaining a healthy pregnancy. A bipartisan federal PWFA will end the patchwork of statewide laws and make it clear that all pregnant workers in this country deserve reasonable job accommodations. The PWFA was most recently re-introduced in 2019 with bipartisan support in the House, and A Better Balance testified at the bill’s first ever hearing.
Click here to read testimony about why current federal law falls short for pregnant workers and why the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is the solution we need, or watch below.
Testimony
- Oral Testimony in Support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for “Long Over Due” Congressional Hearing, by ABB Co-President Dina Bakst
- Written Testimony in Support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act for “Long Over Due” Congressional Hearing, by ABB Co-President Dina Bakst
- Armanda Legros Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (written)
Fact Sheets
- Fact sheet: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Legal Backgrounder
- Bill Explainer: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Fact sheet: Why Pregnant Workers Fairness Laws are Good for Business
- Fact sheet: Fairness for Pregnant Workers After Young v. UPS
- Fact sheet: Ensuring Safe & Healthy Pregnancies in the Workplace
- The Case for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, In Stories
Take Action
Op-Eds
- Op-Ed (N.Y. Times): Pregnant, and Pushed Out of a Job (by Dina Bakst)
- Op-Ed (U.S. News): Peggy Young’s Victory Is Not Enough (by Dina Bakst)
- Op-Ed (The Hill): Congress Should Help Pregnant Workers Stay Healthy and On the Job
Reports & Advocacy Materials
- Report (May 2019): Long Overdue: It Is Time for the Federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Report: Pregnant and Jobless: Thirty-Seven Years After Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Pregnant Women Still Choose Between A Paycheck and A Healthy Pregnancy
- Report: It Shouldn’t Be A Heavy Lift: Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers
- Webinar: Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers: Training for Advocates & Policy Makers
- Powerpoint presentation: Businesses for Treating Pregnant Workers Fairly
Videos
- The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Long Overdue: Explainer
- Lyndi Trischler’s Story
- Armanda Legros’ Story
Business Support
- U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce letter of support
- Cynthia DiBartolo, Chairperson of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Tigress Financial Partners LLC, letter of support of the PWFA
- Support from two South Carolina business publications, the Upstate Business Journal and Propel HR, after the passage of a pregnant workers fairness law in that state.
- Support from Davis Chamber of Commerce for state pregnant workers fairness legislation in Utah
- Support from Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a business association with 4,000 employer members, for state-level pregnant workers fairness legislation
Organizational Letters of Support
- 2020 Letter of Support for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Letter of support for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act from over 100 supporting organizations
- Coalition for Quality Maternity Care letter of support
- Letter of support for the PWFA from the March of Dimes
- Letter from ABB Supporting Senate Budget 2015 Amendment 632, Supporting Pregnant Workers