New Jersey Senate Panel Amends Pregnancy Discrimination Bill

As we previously reported here, the New Jersey Senate recently introduced a bill to amend the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination ("LAD") to include pregnancy and childbirth as protected categories. On November 7th, the New Jersey Senate Labor Committee amended and advanced the bill.

The bill would prohibit employers from treating women affected by pregnancy less favorably than employees not affected by pregnancy but similar in their ability or inability to work. If passed, the bill would require employers of women affected by pregnancy to make available reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related needs when the employee, with the advice of her physician, requests accommodation. The bill would also prohibit employers from penalizing employees affected by pregnancy in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment for using accommodations.