平等就业机会委员会发布影响雇主必须如何对待怀孕工人的规则

Last year, 国会通过了怀孕工人公平法案(PWFA), 哪项规定拥有15名或15名以上雇员的私营部门雇主为下列已知限制提供合理便利, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or “related medical conditions,除非这种安排会对雇主的经营造成不适当的困难. 而其他法律禁止基于怀孕的歧视, 《十大正规网赌网址》要求雇主照顾这些问题，即使这些健康状况是暂时的，不在《十大正规网赌网址》(" ADA ")的规定之内。.

就像联邦立法经常发生的那样, 《十大正规网赌网址》本身可作任何解释, 国会让平等就业机会委员会(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)在“最终规则”中制定新的执行规定来填补空白.“经过数月的公众评论和审查, 平等就业机会委员会于4月19日公布了408页的《澳门十大正规网赌网址》, 2024, and it will go into effect on June 18, 2024.

虽然与《十大正规网赌网址》相似，但《十大正规网赌网址》的要求比《十大正规网赌网址》更为严格

而《十大正规网赌网址》的流程和要求与《十大正规网赌网址》相似, 这两部法律之间有显著的差别.

1. 员工的“已知限制”可能是次要的.

首先，根据《十大正规网赌网址》，“已知限制”比《十大正规网赌网址》所涵盖的残疾范围更广.  它必须是精神或身体上的障碍，但不需要很严重.  The limitation can include minor, 一般条件，只要符合法规的其他要求. In fact, according to the EEOC, 员工可以要求提供住宿，以减少与怀孕有关的增加的疼痛或对员工健康的风险, childbirth, or a related condition.

2. 工人只需要提供限制和需要调整的通知.

Second, as with the ADA, 雇主也必须通过雇员或雇员代表的沟通“知道”这些限制, 虽然不需要特定的语言.  In essence, 住宿要求只要求雇员向雇主提供通知，说明雇员有限制和, as a result, needs an adjustment or change at work.  这就促使雇主有义务与雇员进行互动对话，试图找到一个可接受的住宿.

3. Pregnancy is defined broadly.

平等就业机会委员会对《十大正规网赌网址》内的词语作出广义的定义. “怀孕”可以指现在怀孕、过去怀孕或计划怀孕. "相关医疗状况"包括流产, stillbirth, abortion, infertility, fertility treatment, lactation, birth control use, menstrual cycles, postpartum depression, gestational diabetes, changes in hormone levels, and a host of other similar conditions. 这些条件甚至可以包括常见条件, such as chronic migraine headaches, high blood pressure, and incontinence, 只要与怀孕和分娩有关或因怀孕和分娩而加重.

4. 与ADA不同，PWFA不要求员工在短期内能够履行工作职能.

《十大正规网赌网址》和《十大正规网赌网址》的另一个区别是如何定义雇员“合格”.”  Like the ADA, 《澳门十大正规网赌网址》对合资格雇员或申请人的定义是，不论是否有居所，合资格雇员或申请人均可履行受雇职位的基本职能.  The PWFA, however, has a second, 更严格的定义是，即使员工不能履行工作的基本职能, they are still considered “qualified” if (i) the inability to perform the essential function is temporary; (ii) the employee should be able to perform the essential function “in the near future,(iii)可以合理地适应暂时丧失能力的情况.  平等就业机会委员会将“在不久的将来”定义为从一项基本职能开始临时暂停后的40周.  Essentially, then, 《十大正规网赌网址》规定，如有需要，可暂停雇员的一项或多项基本职能.  This does not, however, 意味着怀孕雇员的基本职能必须暂停40周，或每项要求暂停40周的住宿要求必须得到批准.

互动过程和过度困难与ADA相似

As with the ADA, 雇主应该参与一个互动的过程，以探索可能的住宿. 如果有合理的替代方案，最终规则并不要求雇主提供雇员所要求的住宿, 但如果员工要求的住宿确实造成了不适当的困难, 雇主必须考虑任何不会造成不当困难的替代方案.

最终规则亦提供了几个在《澳门十大正规网赌网址》下可能提供合理便利的例子, which include but are not limited to: (i) job restructuring; (ii) modified work schedules; (iii) more frequent breaks for use of the restroom, drinking, eating, and/or resting; (iv) modification of equipment, uniforms, or devices; (v) use of paid leave and additional unpaid leave; (vi) light duty; (vii) telework; (viii) temporary suspension of one or more essential functions of the job; (ix) reserved parking spaces; and (x) “other similar accommodations.”

《十大正规网赌网址》遵循《十大正规网赌网址》中“过度困难”的定义, 雇主的运作需要很大的困难或费用，并侧重于特定雇主的澳门十大正规网赌网址和情况与提供特定住宿的成本或困难的关系. The final rule, however, 在确定一项基本职能的暂时中止是否会造成不适当的困难时，增加了可考虑的其他因素.  These include (i) consideration of the length of time that the employee will be unable to perform the essential function(s); (ii) whether there is work for the employee to accomplish; (iii) the nature of the essential function, including its frequency; (iv) whether the employer has provided other employees in similar positions who are unable to perform the essential function(s) of their positions with temporary suspensions of those functions and other duties; (v) if necessary, whether there are other employees, temporary employees, or third parties who can perform or be temporarily hired to perform the essential function(s) in question; and (vi) whether the essential function(s) can be postponed or remain unperformed for any length of time and, if so, for how long.

The EEOC has cautioned, however, that the following modifications “virtually always found to be reasonable accommodations that do not impose an undue hardship: (i) carrying water and drinking it as needed; (ii) allowing additional restroom breaks; (iii) allowing sitting for those whose work requires standing and standing for those whose work requires sitting; and (iv) allowing breaks as needed to eat and drink.

雇主可以违反法律，“不合理地”要求证明文件

Under the final rule, 雇主无须向根据《十大正规网赌网址》提出住宿要求的雇员或申请人索取证明文件. However, 雇主是否需要这些文件, 只有在合理的情况下，雇主才允许这样做，以确定雇员(或申请人)是否有与疾病有关的身体或精神状况, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, 或相关的健康状况(限制)，并且由于限制需要改变或调整工作.  如有关要求在有关情况下不合理，即违反《十大正规网赌网址》.  As part of the interpretive guidance, the EEOC provides that one such situation where the seeking of documentation would be unreasonable would be when “(1) the known limitation and need for reasonable accommodation are obvious; and (2) the employee confirms the obvious limitation and need for reasonable accommodation through self-attestation.” Put simply, 如果一名雇员告诉雇主她怀孕了，并且正在“露出来”,，那么文档就没有必要了.

PWFA Prohibits Retaliation and Threats

Finally, 工务局禁止报复任何雇员或申请人，因为他们反对工务局认定为非法的行为或做法，或曾提出指控, testified, assisted, 或以任何方式参与调查, proceeding, or hearing under the PWFA.  The final rule also prohibits coercion, intimidation, threats, 或干涉任何人行使《澳门十大正规网赌网址》所规定的权利，或协助或鼓励他人行使《澳门十大正规网赌网址》所规定的权利.

上述的检讨并非是对《十大正规网赌网址》的全面检讨.  最终规则包括许多附加要求、示例和限制.  我们鼓励雇主在对可能与雇员怀孕或相关情况有关或由此引起的雇员采取任何行动之前，寻求合格的法律顾问. 

Jeff Wilson is Pender & 懦弱的股东专注于劳动法事务, 包括咨询和商业诉讼.