Executive Summary: Effective May 17,
2018, a new South Carolina law, the Pregnancy Accommodations Act, expanded existing
state law protections for pregnant employees. Most notably, the new
law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for
"medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related
medical conditions," including lactation and the need to
express breast milk.
Recent Trend of Pregnancy Accommodation Laws
The South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act follows a modern
trend of state legislatures ensuring pregnant women have the right
to reasonable accommodations. Twenty-three states and the District
of Colombia have now passed laws explicitly granting pregnant
employees the right to accommodations in the workplace, with
eighteen of these laws enacted in the last five years. For a
discussion of the recently enacted Massachusetts law, please see
our Legal Alert,
Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Takes Effect April
1, 2018.
