What Does The New Federal Pregnancy Law Mean For Your Business?

[Fit Small Business | ]( HR Insights from Our Experts [What Does The New Federal Pregnancy Law Mean For Your Business?] Welcome to this week's HR newsletter. We’re so happy to have you!     New Federal Pregnancy Law: What You Should Know   The new [Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)]( that went into effect June 27 expands the protections for working mothers, granting them access to “reasonable accommodations.” Unless this will cause “undue hardship” (such as significant expense or difficulty), employers or business operations with at least 15 employees are required to provide reasonable accommodations to workers with known limitations from pregnancy, childbirth, and other related medical conditions. Note, however, this doesn’t replace or change the federal, state, or local laws that protect pregnant employees. Some examples would be the [Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)]( and the [Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act](, which require certain employers to provide pregnant or nursing workers with some accommodations, like unpaid job-protected leave and access to private nursing spaces while at work. Need help creating a maternity leave policy for business? Check out our [maternity leave policy]( guide as it includes the laws you need to know, including policy templates you can download for free.         Sample Accommodations Under the New Pregnancy Law   The House Committee on Education and Labor [Report on the PWFA]( has enumerated a few examples of potential reasonable accommodations or changes to the work environment for pregnant employees. These could be: - Flexible work hours - Closer parking spaces - Additional break times to eat, rest, and use the bathroom - Appropriately sized uniforms and safety gear/apparel - Exemption from strenuous work activities that involve exposure to compounds unsafe for pregnant workers         Best Human Resources Software (Updated for 2023)   The right HR software solution can help optimize processes by automating manual tasks, organizing employee records, and building data-driven reports. Moreover, advanced HR software solutions enable better workforce planning, financial forecasting, and strategic decision-making. We reviewed more than 30 top HR software solutions and narrowed it down to the best of the best. [Read Now](         What Can Employers Do (Or Not Do)?   First, take a look at your company policies. Are there benefits and perks that you’re already providing to pregnant workers that will fall under the new pregnancy law? If you only have the standard options and will need to add more to stay compliant, start with something small, like providing additional break times or not requiring pregnant employees to do strenuous tasks. Don’t forget to discuss the accommodations with employees prior to enforcing them. Let’s say you decide to give flexible work hours to a pregnant staff member. Discuss this arrangement with the employee. Document the discussion and have the employee and other stakeholders, like the direct supervisor or manager, sign the memo. These steps will help avoid potential legal and compliance issues. Looking for HR payroll software to help you manage simple benefits you can offer to pregnant workers, like paid time off (PTO)? We recommend Rippling as it not only lets you track and approve leave transactions online but automatically sends alerts when an employee’s leave is approaching and when more than 50% of your team will be on PTO on any given day. [Visit Rippling]( WHAT CAN’T YOU DO Under the PWFA, employers cannot: - Force the employee to accept an accommodation without discussing it - Require a worker to go on leave if a reasonable accommodation can be provided that will allow the employee to keep working - Deny a job or other employment opportunities to qualified workers or applicants based on the need for reasonable accommodations - Interfere with the employee’s rights under the PWFA - Retaliate against the worker opposing or reporting unlawful discrimination under the PWFA or for joining a PWFA proceeding/investigation While the new pregnancy law allows those who will experience “undue hardship” to not offer accommodations, if this will result in a legal issue, it is up to the employers to prove those burdens in litigation. So, before deciding what to offer and what to deny, carefully weigh the reasonableness of the accommodations for eligible workers.     What’s new in HR? Check out some of our latest HR content:   [Rehiring Former Employees]( Rehiring former employees can be a great move, depending on the factors unique to your small business. This article contains helpful tips on how to rehire them, as well as the advantages and disadvantages you should consider before making that decision. [READ MORE]( [Best Meeting Management Software]( Meetings are essential to an organization as they help foster collaboration, align goals, and facilitate decision-making. The best meeting management software offer solutions to streamline the entire meeting process. Read our guide to see our top recommended software for managing meetings. [READ MORE](     Meet Fit Small Business’ HR & Payroll Experts   [-Jennifer Hartman, HR Staff Writer & Human Resources Expert]( Throughout her career, Heather has worked to help hundreds of small business owners manage many aspects of their business, from bookkeeping to accounting to HR. Her experience has allowed her to learn firsthand the payroll needs of small business owners. [Heather Landau]( [-Jennifer Hartman, HR Staff Writer & Human Resources Expert]( Jen has more than 20 years of writing and content experience, working with small businesses and Fortune 100 companies. She worked as an HR generalist for over a decade, providing accounting, payroll, and HR expertise. [Jennifer Soper]( [-Jennifer Hartman, HR Staff Writer & Human Resources Expert]( Robie is a payroll and HR expert at Fit Small Business, focusing on software. She has over eight years of content writing experience, handling different topics. Robie also worked as an HR specialist for 10 years where she managed various facets of HR—from payroll and benefits to employee services and HR systems. [Robie Ann Ferrer]( [-Jennifer Hartman, HR Staff Writer & Human Resources Expert]( Juvy has more than 10 years of experience writing product reviews and providing online content for small businesses. Juvy was also a college instructor. She believes that her teaching background, writing experience, and supportive team members are crucial in providing the best answers to readers. [Juvy Vallescas]( [-Jennifer Hartman, HR Staff Writer & Human Resources Expert]( Genevieve has more than 13 years of writing experience, working with different clients in various industries. She has ghostwritten several books and ebooks on marketing and leadership. Genevieve also worked as an HR Head of a local manufacturing company and has helped small businesses set up their business and HR processes. [Genevieve Que](     Not sure if a four-day work week is right for your business? Watch for next week’s newsletter for our experts' deep dive into everything you need to know about this topic. Until next time, Heather Landau, Jennifer Soper, Robie Ann Ferrer, Juvy Vallescas, and Genevieve Que   For more quality resources on growing your small business: [Marketing]( | [Financing]( | [Accounting]( | [HR]( | [Retail]( | [Ecommerce]( | [Sales]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Alternate text] Want to change what you receive in your inbox? [Update Your Preferences]( [Image]   We spend hours researching and writing our articles and strive to provide accurate, up-to-date content. However, our research is meant to aid your own, and we are not acting as licensed professionals. We recommend that you consult with your own lawyer, accountant, or other licensed professional for relevant business decisions. Our business model allows us to bring you the best answers to your questions, without editorial biases or cluttering the site with banner ads that everyone hates. The solutions we recommend to business owners often include products and services. 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