Technical Designer Recovers $30,000 from Architectural Design Firm for Unlawful Termination under Pregnancy Discrimination Act

A technical designer for a local architectural design firm recovered $30,000 as a result of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. In this case, the client let her supervisor know that she had become pregnant. Shortly thereafter, the employer started to unreasonably criticize her job performance. The client was called into several meetings and was put on a performance improvement plan but was never provided any specific examples of actual deficiencies in her performance. Her employer also failed to provide objective criteria for demonstrating satisfactory performance. During one of the performance review meetings, the client was told that she was a great worker but was not a “good fit” for the business and was then terminated before she went on maternity leave. Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) the client was a victim of pregnancy discrimination as her job performance had not been in question until after she let her employer know that she was pregnant. The PDA prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. Even if the client had been performing unsatisfactorily and/or struggling with her job, the PDA requires employers to treat pregnancy as a temporary disabling condition in which pregnant employees should receive the same accommodations it would give to any other disabled employee. In addition to the discrimination claim, the client was also protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as it prohibits interference with exercise of the right to take a leave. It was argued that the employer terminated the client because it knew the client would be taking maternity leave. If you have been discriminated against and/or terminated by your employer due to pregnancy or your rights may have been violated, you may be entitled to lost wages, compensatory damages for emotional distress, and even reinstatement. Contact Florida employment attorney Robert S. Norell for a free case evaluation.