A bill introduced yesterday by four council members would make pregnancy an explicitly protected status under city human-rights laws.
“It has been reported that pregnant women are regularly being discriminated against in the workplace,” the council reported.
It’s already against the law for employers to discriminate against women based on their pregnancy.
But Councilman James Vacca (D-Bronx) said it can take weeks for cases to be heard before the city’s Commission on Human Rights — time that women don’t have.
“Pregnancy is only 40-weeks long and every day counts,” he said.
He said his bill would provide a “proactive” way for pregnant women to claim their rights — including extra bathroom breaks and “periodic rest for those who stand for long periods.”
The women would have to get a statement from their medical providers backing up their “reasonable” requests.
Employers could seek exemptions if they can show that they’d suffer any financial hardship.