Rep. Cisneros Votes in Favor of Bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) voted to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The bipartisan bill requires public sector employers and private employers with more than 15 employees to make reasonable accommodations for job applicants and workers with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, as long as the accommodation would not impose an undue hardship on the business. Rep. Cisneros is a cosponsor of the bill. It passed the House with a 329-73 vote.

“The Pregnancy Discrimination Act was signed into law nearly 42 years ago, and yet pregnant workers are still facing discrimination, retaliation, and being denied employment opportunities. This is despite a growing number of women who are the primary household earner and pregnant workers are working later into their pregnancies,” said Rep. Cisneros. “Today, I’m proud to join my Republican and Democratic colleagues to pass this bipartisan bill to provide common-sense workplace protections and reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. We need to reduce workplace and employment barriers so that every person can achieve the financial security they deserve.”

Under this legislation, pregnant workers could not be denied employment opportunities, retaliated against for requesting reasonable accommodation, or be forced to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation is available. These reasonable accommodations include simple changes such as appropriate seating, water breaks, closer parking, flexible hours, appropriately sized uniforms and safety apparel, bathroom breaks, and excusing pregnant workers from strenuous activities.

In a recent survey of voters across the country, 89 percent said they support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, including 81 percent of Republicans, 86 percent of Independents, and 96 percent of Democrats.

A 2013 survey by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that 250,000 pregnant workers each year are denied requests for reasonable workplace accommodations.

There is broad support for this legislation from civil rights, worker advocates, health, and religious organizations as well as from the business community including the ACLU, AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, Child Welfare League of America, Human Rights Watch, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, March of Dimes, MomsRising, NAACP, National Consumers League, National Education Association, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Retail Federation, National Women’s Law Center, NOW, Oxfam America, UAW, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce among others.

Rep. Cisneros has been a consistent and ardent champion of advancing equality for women and ensuring no barriers remain in the workplace. Last year, he helped secure House passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act to address the gender pay gap by prohibiting retaliation for discussing salaries with colleagues, requiring employers to prove that any pay disparities exist for legitimate reasons, and creating a negotiation skills training program for women and girls.