Pregnancy Harassment

Harassment occur when a person feels intensely annoyed by a particularly action directed on him or her by another individual or a group. This form of misconduct may be verbal or physical. In the workplace, harassment may be done by a fellow worker or even a superior. Either way, employee harassment is not tolerated by the law. Most often, it is based on one’s background such as race. And so, it may come as a surprise to some that pregnant women may also be harassed because of their condition.

Definition

Pregnancy harassment basically occurs when an offensive action, whether verbal or physical, is exerted upon a woman based on the fact that she is pregnant. It can also occur in administrative policies, which may either be the denial of the pregnant employees' petition to have a maternity leave or when an employer forced a pregnant employee to start her leave when she are still capable of doing her duties. Sometimes this harassment may also include simple teases regarding the appearance of the pregnant woman. Is generally prohibited by the law for an employer to ask a prospective employee in an interview if she intends to be pregnant, presumably denying her the job if she intends to be so.

Dealing with pregnancy harassment

Generally, the law protects the rights of pregnant women. In many workplaces, pregnant women are temporarily regarded as special cases. As an example, pregnant women should have a special seat on the bus or in public places. Furthermore, a pregnant woman whose job requires her to stand must be temporarily assigned to a task where she can sit and not be stressed physically. A pregnant woman also has the right to have a maternity leave, and she should not be fired from her job because of her temporary leave of absence. You should know your rights as a pregnant employee and recognize and address harassment when being done on you.