"A Better Balance" Files Class-Action Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart In Defense Of Pregnant Workers' Rights
A Better Balance, an organization of lawyers specializing in using the strength of the law to protect females in the workplace, has filed a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart for its discriminatory "No Fault Employee Absence Control Policy", which assigns points for unexpected absences.
The lawsuit, as stated by A Better Balance's press release, is being brought on "on behalf of two former Walmart employees who were fired—in violation of New York state law—after their pregnancy-related hospital visits were deemed 'unauthorized', triggering their termination." alarmed that pregnancy-related absence could result in termination, I reached out to Lorraine Kenny, a company spokesperson and "Director of Communications And Marketing", for details. She confirmed that the termination of the 2 female employees was directly related to Wal-mart's absence control policy, and that there is legislation to protect pregnant workers, "The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act", that states that employers "have an obligation to accommodate pregnant workers".
With regard to what A Better Balance hopes to accomplish with the lawsuit, Kenny stated that she hopes to set a national precedent for the protection and accommodation of pregnant workers not just in New York, but across the country.
With regard to what A Better Balance hopes to accomplish with the lawsuit, Kenny stated that she hopes to set a national precedent for the protection and accommodation of pregnant workers not just in New York, but across the country.