On April 19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published a final rule and interpretive guidance to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). As noted in this article prepared by LeadingAge prior to the rulemaking process, the PWFA took effect June 27, 2023, and requires most employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.
Among other elements, the EEOC rule provides examples of reasonable accommodations, offers guidance regarding limitations and medical conditions for which employees or applicants may seek reasonable accommodation, encourages communication between employers and workers to raise and resolve requests for reasonable accommodation in a timely manner, and explains when an accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an employer and its business. LeadingAge is reviewing the final rule, which goes into effect on June 18, 2024, and will provide additional information for members.
Information about the PWFA and the EEOC’s final rule, including resources for employers and workers, is available on the EEOC’s “What You Should Know about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act” webpage.
