EEOC Issues Final Rule Implementing The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

On April 15, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") issued a preview notice of the final rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ("PWFA"). The PWFA became effective on June 27, 2023, and the EEOC published its proposed regulations on the PWFA in the Federal Register in August 2023. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2024, and is expected to take effect on June 18, 2024.

The PWFA applies to all private and public sector employers with at least 15 employees and expands existing protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"). The PWFA's primary goal is to ensure covered employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. However, employers are not required to provide an accommodation that would cause an undue hardship to the employer's business operations.