Opinion: How artificial intelligence could make pregnancy discrimination in employment more common
In June 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect. The federal law requires employers to give pregnant employees reasonable accommodations, such as getting appropriately sized uniforms or having closer parking. Another federal law, included in the December 2022 consolidated appropriations bill, now requires employers to provide break times for parents who need to pump breast milk during work hours. It is hard to believe that such basic yet vital protections were only codified in the 2020s.
Yet, the reality is that navigating pregnancy and employment remains a significant challenge in today’s society. While pregnancy discrimination is illegal under federal and state laws, it remains an omnipresent and pernicious force in U.S. society. What’s more, instances of pregnancy discrimination are likely to increase in insidious ways with the rise of artificial intelligence and algorithms in employment.
