Pregnancy Discrimination in Los Angeles: Your Rights Explained

You shouldn’t have to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a steady paycheck. Yet it happens: hours quietly shrink after you announce, “I’m expecting,” a plum client lands with someone “more available,” or a manager hints you should step back “for now.” If any of this sounds familiar, let’s get specific about your rights in Los Angeles—what counts as discrimination, what accommodations you can request, and how to protect your job without burning bridges.

Key Takeaways

• California and federal laws ban pregnancy-based bias and require reasonable accommodations.
  
• You can take pregnancy disability leave and, separately, bonding leave—often in different “buckets.”
  
• Retaliation for requesting accommodations or leave is illegal.
  
• Put requests and timelines in writing; keep notes, emails, and schedules.
  
• If internal fixes stall, you can file with the CRD or EEOC to preserve deadlines.
  
• Early, precise documentation is your best leverage.
  

What Counts as Pregnancy Discrimination (and What Doesn’t)

Pregnancy discrimination isn’t only “you’re fired because you’re pregnant.” It also includes being passed over for a promotion because leadership assumes you’ll be “distracted,” losing high-commission accounts to “lighten your load,” or being pushed to start leave earlier than your doctor recommends. If pregnancy is a driving factor in a job decision—hiring, pay, shifts, duties, training access, or termination—that’s a problem under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and federal law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also enforces the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations unless doing so creates an undue hardship.

A quick gut check helps: compare your treatment to how other employees with temporary limitations are treated. If a co-worker with a short-term injury gets a stool and modified tasks—but your request gets a shrug or “we don’t do that”—flag it. Start building a record (dates, people, changes to duties), and when you’re ready, scan a plain-English guide on spotting patterns of bias here: how to identify workplace discrimination under California law. 

The Laws That Protect You in LA (State + Federal)

California protections. California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) gives up to four months of job-protected leave when you’re “disabled by pregnancy” (think severe morning sickness, prescribed bed rest, childbirth, and recovery). PDL can be taken intermittently or all at once, and employers must maintain your health coverage on the same terms as active employees. The Civil Rights Department (CRD) publishes a fact sheet that lays out eligibility, notice, and job-restoration rules in plain terms.

Bonding leave (a different bucket). Separately, many workers qualify for bonding leave (often up to 12 weeks) under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), usually taken after birth or placement. Because PDL and CFRA serve different purposes, they can stack—PDL for medical disability related to pregnancy/childbirth, CFRA for bonding once you’re medically cleared. CRD’s overview page explains these categories and how they interact with other leaves.

Federal protections. The PWFA—effective June 27, 2023, with EEOC regulations effective June 18, 2024—requires covered employers (15+ employees) to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations unless doing so would cause undue hardship. The EEOC’s official “What You Should Know” page lists common accommodations (extra restroom breaks, a water bottle at the workstation, a stool, temporary task changes) and underscores that an employee doesn’t need to be “totally unable to work” to qualify. That’s a significant shift from older, narrower approaches.

Reasonable Accommodations: Ask Early, Ask in Writing

Most accommodations are simple and low-cost:

• A chair or stool if you’re usually standing
  
• Additional restroom or hydration breaks
  
• Temporary reassignment away from heavy lifting or hazardous exposures
  
• Flexibility for prenatal appointments
  
• Short-term work restrictions from your provider (e.g., lifting limits)
  

Under FEHA and the PWFA, employers must engage in a good-faith interactive process to identify a workable solution. You can kick this off with a short email to HR: describe the limitation (“standing longer than 90 minutes causes swelling”), propose a fix (“stool plus a short break every 2 hours”), and offer to provide a doctor’s note if needed. The EEOC’s PWFA materials spell out examples and the low documentation burden for common requests. 

If you hit resistance, follow up in writing: “Thanks for discussing my accommodation request related to pregnancy. As noted, my provider recommends a stool and brief breaks. Please confirm by Friday so I can plan my schedule.” If the pushback morphs into unfavorable scheduling, lost accounts, or sudden write-ups, you’re now in potential retaliation territory. For context on how to document and escalate, see this explainer on workplace discrimination in Los Angeles.

Leave Without Losing Ground: PDL, CFRA, and Your Return

Before birth: PDL for medical needs. You don’t have to take leave all at once. If your provider certifies intermittent disability (e.g., severe morning sickness requiring periodic days off), you can use PDL in small chunks. Track dates carefully and clarify how the time will be coded in payroll. CRD’s PDL fact sheet outlines how leave is calculated and what “job-protected” means in practice. 

After birth: bonding leave. Once you’re medically cleared, bonding leave typically falls under CFRA. You may take it continuously or intermittently within the first year. Ask HR to confirm eligibility criteria (employer size, tenure, hours worked). CRD’s leave hub summarizes thresholds and links to complaint channels if an employer stonewalls.

Coming back: “same or comparable job.” When protected leave ends, you’re generally entitled to return to the same job—or a comparable one with equivalent pay, benefits, and schedule. A return to fewer hours, weaker shifts, or less lucrative accounts isn’t “comparable.” Push for a written explanation and timeline to restore parity. If a manager suggests you “ease back” on reduced hours you didn’t request, make your objection clear in email and ask for reinstatement to your pre-leave terms. For broader context on how at-will employment interacts with unlawful bias, skim this primer on at-will exceptions in California employment law. 

Retaliation: Spot It Fast and Respond Calmly

Retaliation is any punishment for asserting your rights—requesting an accommodation, taking PDL/CFRA, or reporting bias. It can look like smaller shifts, lost clients, exclusion from meetings, or sudden performance write-ups after years of solid reviews. Retaliation is a separate legal violation; the company can’t “get back at you” for using protected rights.

Your playbook:

1. Capture the timeline. “I disclosed pregnancy on March 12; asked for a stool April 1; lost Friday closing shifts on April 8.” Tight timelines make patterns clear.
   
2. Ask for the policy. Request anti-retaliation and complaint procedures. Follow them, and keep everything in writing.
   
3. Raise it neutrally. “I’m concerned my reduced hours followed my accommodation request. Can we review scheduling criteria?” If it continues, consider escalating or filing externally.
   

For additional context and examples of protected activity (and what employers can’t do in response), see this page on retaliation protections in Los Angeles. 

If You Suspect Pregnancy Discrimination, Here’s a Practical Step-by-Step

Start a living document. Keep a one-page timeline in a notes app: announcements, emails, schedule changes, performance feedback, and who witnessed what. This reduces “he said, she said” later.

Put requests in writing—short and specific. “Because of pregnancy-related swelling, I’m requesting a stool and a 10-minute break every two hours from 5/5 to 6/20 per provider’s note.” Propose alternatives if needed.

Confirm leave buckets in advance. Ask HR to specify (in writing) which leave applies when: PDL for the medical period and CFRA for bonding. Link each to dates and any paperwork they need. CRD’s overview page is helpful when HR seems unsure about the interplay.

Mind deadlines and forums. California’s CRD and the EEOC both accept online complaints. You don’t have to pick one blindly; in many cases, filing with one agency can “cross-file” with the other. The EEOC’s PWFA pages explain what counts as a request and common, reasonable accommodations, which can support your intake statement. 

Consider quiet counsel. A short consult can help you avoid unforced errors—like over-sharing medical details or resigning before exploring accommodations. If termination or a forced pay cut is on the table, you may also be looking at wrongful-termination and wage claims.

Practical Scenarios (and Scripted Responses You Can Borrow)

“We don’t have light duty.” You: “I’m requesting reasonable modifications to how I do my essential duties—specifically, a stool and scheduled hydration breaks through June 20. If light duty isn’t available, can we try those options first?” The EEOC notes that simple modifications like seating or extra breaks are typical under the PWFA.

“You should just take leave now.” You: “My provider cleared me to work with a lifting limit and periodic breaks. I’m requesting those accommodations and prefer to continue working for now.” If pressure continues, document it and consider escalating under your anti-retaliation policy.

“When you return, we’ll start you part-time.” You: “PDL/CFRA leave is job-protected. I’m requesting reinstatement to my prior schedule and client assignments effective on my return date.” If they claim “business needs,” ask for objective criteria and how they were applied across the team.

“We can’t hold your accounts for months.” You: “PDL and CFRA are protected. If you’re reassigning due to neutral, documented business reasons, please share the criteria. Otherwise, I’m requesting restoration of my accounts on return.”

Where to Find the Rules (and Why They Matter)

If HR seems unsure or gives conflicting answers, point to primary sources:

• CRD’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Fact Sheet — clear on eligibility, notice, benefits continuation, and job restoration under PDL.
  
• CRD’s Job-Protected Leave page — a hub explaining PDL vs. CFRA bonding leave, thresholds, and complaint options.
  
• EEOC’s PWFA guidance and final regulation — what counts as “reasonable,” the interactive process, and common examples like stools, extra breaks, and schedule tweaks.
  

You don’t need to master legalese—just enough to ask for what you need with confidence.

Conclusion: Protecting Your Career During Pregnancy in LA

Pregnancy Discrimination LA issues are often fixable with clarity and documentation. Ask for what you need in writing, keep a clean timeline, and point HR to the CRD and EEOC guidance when answers get fuzzy. If the situation keeps sliding—hours cut, accounts gone, pressure to start leave early—you’ve got options and enforcement channels to get things back on track.

FAQs