Bess Masterson, Attorney

Our Texas pregnancy discrimination lawyers want you to understand that employers can be held liable for actions that violate employee rights in the workplace. You are protected from wrongful termination and employee discrimination in hiring, promoting, disciplining and assigning work tasks based on your status as a pregnant employee. If you are a husband wishing to take pregnancy leave or family leave, whether paid or unpaid, to care for a spouse or child, your employee rights at work may be protected by law. We believe in empowerment through resolution, because we hear clients say over and over again that they didn’t think they stood a chance against their employer, yet many prevailed. We helped them achieve outcomes that were fair. Most were able to move on with their lives, with confidence and self-assurance.

What is Pregnancy Discrimination?

Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employer discriminates against an employee on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions. Pregnancy discrimination may include denial of time off, denial of a reasonable accommodation for a pregnant employee, firing or demoting a pregnant employee, forced time off, restrictions on work and any other negative employment actions taken because of an employee’s pregnancy or related medical condition. Pregnancy discrimination is prohibited under Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Texas Labor Code and is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

When Can You Take Maternity Leave from Work?

When you become pregnant, your employer must provide you with certain accommodations. Depending on the company’s size and your length of service, you may be entitled to a maternity leave of up to 12 weeks under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA maternity leave also provides for reinstatement after taking maternity leave or parental leave.

Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuits

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) prohibits all forms of employee discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA) also prohibits pregnancy discrimination and requires that all pregnant employees, and such employees’ fringe benefit programs, be treated the same as other individuals similar in ability or inability to work. If your employer refuses to accommodate work restrictions suggested by your doctor, or if you have been demoted or wrongfully terminated due to pregnancy, we may be able to help.

In order to pursue a case of gender discrimination or pregnancy discrimination, you should not wait to file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and/or the TWC. Filing with the EEOC and the TWC allows you to receive your Notice of Right to Sue and to pursue your case later, if necessary, in court. Our Texas pregnancy discrimination lawyers will help you with every step in the process.

Our Clients Tell Us

Click on this link to read some of the many client testimonials that people have sent to thank our employee rights attorneys for getting them back on track. Kilgore & Kilgore can do the same for you.

We Are Flexible

Kilgore & Kilgore is especially sensitive to the need for cost control during the provision of legal services. We employ a variety of flexible fee techniques. Some of these strategies include flat rate fees, contingency fees, reverse contingency fees and modified hourly rates. We can adapt and share with our clients the financial costs of legal actions that achieve the justice and fairness that the legal industry was established to bring.

Reach Out to Us

Our pregnancy discrimination lawyers are committed to helping defend pregnancy rights and to obtain FMLA maternity leave for fathers. To learn more about our employment law practice or to schedule an appointment to discuss matters in confidence with a Dallas pregnancy discrimination lawyer, contact us today. We offer a free review of the facts of your case with a Kilgore & Kilgore attorney.