Dive Brief:
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A pregnant employee at a San Jose, Calif., Pier 1 store has sued the retailer for failing to accommodate her pregnancy, which she says is a clear violation of California law.
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Last month, Wal-Mart Stores made some changes to its pregnancy policy after shareholder and employee moves aimed at clarifying and improving the retailer’s pregnancy policies.
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In recent years, several states have fortified laws and regulations to protect pregnant workers and require companies to accommodate their needs even when the pregnancy is not high-risk.
Dive Insight:
These pregnancy policies appear to reflect a disconnect between policymaking at the corporate level and actually carrying out those policies at the store level. Retailers should take care that their rules to accommodate pregnant workers don’t run afoul of state or federal regulations, which can stem from many different areas of public policy, from labor rules to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
But store managers and retail executives should also take into consideration the terrible public relations these stories garner them. Doing the right thing could benefit everybody, but someone may first have to start paying closer attention.