Los Angeles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

Pregnancy Discrimination · Los Angeles Employment Law

Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C.

(877) 619-8966

Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer Serving Los Angeles Workers

Pregnancy discrimination remains one of the most common employment claims filed in California. Employers frequently fire or demote pregnant employees under the guise of performance problems or restructuring, often shortly after learning of the pregnancy. California law provides stronger protections than federal law, and the timing alone is often enough to establish a case.

The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman represent pregnant and postpartum workers in Los Angeles whose employers violated their rights under California’s FEHA, the Pregnancy Disability Leave law (PDL), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), or the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA).

California Pregnancy Leave: Three Overlapping Laws

Law	Employer Size	Leave Provided	Purpose
Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)	5+ employees	Up to 4 months	Disability related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions
California Family Rights Act (CFRA)	5+ employees	Up to 12 weeks	Baby bonding (runs after PDL)
Federal FMLA	50+ employees	Up to 12 weeks	Pregnancy disability and/or baby bonding (may run concurrently with PDL)
New Parent Leave Act	20+ employees	Up to 12 weeks	Baby bonding at smaller employers not covered by CFRA

For employees at employers with five or more employees: you may be entitled to up to four months of PDL followed by up to 12 weeks of CFRA baby bonding leave, for a total of approximately seven months of protected leave.

EEOC Pregnancy Charge Data

Fiscal Year	Pregnancy Discrimination Charges (National)	Notes
FY 2021	2,727	PDA charges only
FY 2022	2,933
FY 2023	3,077	PWFA went into effect June 2023

Source: EEOC Charge Statistics FY 2023

What Pregnancy Discrimination Looks Like

Termination or demotion shortly after announcing a pregnancy
Removal from projects, accounts, or responsibilities after disclosure
Denial of PDL or CFRA leave to which you are entitled
Return from leave to a position that is not the same or equivalent
Denial of reasonable accommodation for pregnancy-related conditions
Sudden negative performance reviews during or after pregnancy
Pressure to quit or accept a demotion rather than take protected leave

Pregnancy discrimination frequently accompanies related claims. If you requested leave and your employer denied or interfered with it, you have a separate FMLA/CFRA claim. If you were terminated, you likely have a wrongful termination claim. If you complained about the treatment and faced further adverse action, see our page on retaliation claims. Many pregnancy cases also include a disability discrimination claim when the employer failed to accommodate a pregnancy-related medical condition.

Do not sign a separation or severance agreement without speaking with an attorney first.