Sex & Pregnancy Discrimination

Rockville and Bethesda, Maryland, Gender and Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney

Gender and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace are often based on stereotyping. A woman who is aggressive is often treated differently from a male who is aggressive. A woman who is pregnant may not be perceived as a good worker because she may have to take time off from work for maternity leave or to care for sick children in the future.

At Farber Legal, in Rockville/North Bethesda, Maryland, our lawyer represent employees and employers in sex and pregnancy discrimination cases throughout Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area. Our lawyer can advise you whether you have a gender discrimination case and guide you through the steps to protect your rights. We offer an initial consultation at a discounted fee.

Gender discrimination and sexual harassment are commonplace in many Washington, D.C., businesses. One of the women we represented was denied promotion because she was short, soft-spoken, and didn't fit her employer's stereotype of a leader. Discrimination may also appear as pay differences for men and women employees who perform similar work.

Many women professionals have good performance evaluations until they announce they are pregnant. Then they are taken off job assignments and rated differently. Pregnancy discrimination is so widespread, many women put off telling their employer they are pregnant for fear of retaliation.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII. Women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.

An employer cannot refuse to hire a woman because of her pregnancy related condition as long as she is able to perform the major functions of the job. An employer cannot refuse to hire her because of its prejudices against pregnant workers or the prejudices of coworkers, clients or customers.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as certain state and local laws, protect individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of sex. It is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his/her sex in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Title VII also prohibits employment decisions based on stereotypes and assumptions about abilities, traits, or the performance of individuals on the basis of sex. Title VII prohibits both intentional discrimination and neutral job policies that disproportionately exclude individuals on the basis of sex and that are not job related.

The prevailing party in a discrimination case is often awarded attorney's fees. If you feel you have been discriminated against based on gender or pregnancy, contact a lawyer at Farber Legal. We represent clients in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., area, including Rockville and North Bethesda.