The Trump administration is preparing to scale back workplace accommodations related to pregnancy and reproductive health, according to seven people familiar with discussions about the plans.
The changes would limit the impact of the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which was designed to close gaps in disability and discrimination protections for employees. The law was intended to help pregnant workers obtain accommodations such as bathroom and water breaks, relief from heavy lifting and time away for prenatal appointments.
The scope of the regulations implementing the law has been disputed since they were drafted. Conservatives, including some who supported the legislation, have argued that rules written by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission went beyond pregnancy-related protections by covering abortion, fertility treatment and associated procedures and conditions.
Narrowing the regulations would be consistent with other actions by Andrea Lucas, the EEOC’s chair, to reverse what she has described as excesses of the Biden administration. The agency has targeted corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, dropped some discrimination cases and stopped enforcing workplace protections for transgender employees.
The potential rollback forms part of a broader series of executive actions affecting the American workplace, including halting enforcement of sexual-harassment rules and encouraging fewer mothers to work outside the home.
Sources: The New York Times Business.