A Dollar General worker in Georgia was fired after informing her store manager about her pregnancy, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The retailer, based in Tennessee, has agreed to pay $42,500 to settle the lawsuit. The worker was terminated shortly after disclosing her pregnancy in September 2020. The EEOC stated that the worker assured her manager that she could continue working during her pregnancy, but she was not allowed to return and received a termination notice citing “health reasons.”
The EEOC filed the lawsuit to obtain monetary damages on behalf of the fired worker. Darrell Graham, the district director of the EEOC’s Atlanta office, emphasized that pregnancy should not be a reason for employers to assume that employees cannot work. He called for employers to be prevented from perpetuating harmful stereotypes regarding pregnancy and to uphold the rights of pregnant workers.
Pregnancy discrimination is illegal, and the EEOC enforces federal laws protecting job applicants and pregnant employees. The retailer, Dollar General, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires employers to accommodate any job limitations that arise due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Before legislation was passed to protect pregnant workers, employers commonly excluded pregnant women from the workforce. According to a survey, 20% of mothers reported experiencing pregnancy discrimination at their workplaces.
