One of our employees just shared news of her new grandson, and our office team was elated! Everyone loves new babies, right? As employers, it is helpful to keep the same sense of congratulatory excitement as we consider how we treat expecting mothers in our workplace.
Recently, the South Carolina General Assembly passed the SC Pregnancy Accommodations Act last month as communicated in the legislation’s intent statement.
Signed into law by Governor McMaster last month, the SC Human Affairs Law, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, was amended to include the language, “… because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to, lactation.” The new SC Pregnancy Accommodations Act not only reinforces the protections under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, it has offered guidance regarding pregnancy and lactation accommodations along with new posting and notice requirements for SC employers.
Employers have learned that it makes good business sense to create a work environment where expectant and nursing mothers feel valued and respected.
As a reminder, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has already issued guidance on this topic under the PDA:
There are no significant changes regarding how we treat pregnant employees. If you were already engaging in the interactive process to offer reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers and lactating mothers, stay the course. As we have learned from several high-profile cases and “the Court of Public Opinion,” many employers have learned that it makes good business sense to create a work environment where expectant and nursing mothers feel valued and respected.
If you are unsure about accommodations, the new SC Pregnancy Discrimination Act does state clearer expectations to define unlawful employment practices:
With the attention around these issues, employers should fully explore solutions for accommodation requests and consult with HR professionals and/or legal counsel to perform and document your undue hardship analysis before deciding no reason accommodations are available.
Another important point to note from this list is requiring employees to accept an accommodation not agreed upon by employee. This reiterates the importance of the interactive conversation between the employer and employee. Once a request is received, the employer and employee should engage in dialogue to determine how to proceed and document this meeting. Be aware that solutions may vary by employee based on their individual need, so employers should not apply blanket practices to employees, such as requiring all pregnant workers to automatically transition to a certain position in their final trimester.
Employees have the right to be free from discrimination for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
From an administrative perspective, there are a few key action items employers will also need to note regarding policies, employee notices and postings.
The regulatory arm of this Act is the SC Human Affairs Commission. Since they have not issued a specific employee notice or specific employer posting requirements at this time, this is will be something to continue to look out for. With this legislation being effective immediately, some law firms are providing suggested language for these documents now, which could be helpful for large and/or remote teams to meet the September 18th deadline.
While this precautionary measure does allow for more rollout time, if specific language is issued by the SC Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC), this may create additional work for your team. In either case, employers should ensure they are consistently accommodating pregnant workers and nursing mothers immediately as that due date has passed.
Whereas baby showers, bottles and gifts may be the way employees convey excitement for a colleague’s new addition, effective accommodations and fair treatment is the way employers show compassion and enthusiasm for their employee.
Jada Jacobs has B.S. in Marketing from Clemson University and is an SHRM-Certified Professional. She currently works as an HR Business Partner for Propel HR where she offers HR consulting services to multiple businesses. Her previous HR experience includes three years as an HR Manager with a major retail corporation where she focused on staffing, training & development, talent management and employee relations. Jacobs also has ten years of Operations Management experience where she developed and led multiple diverse teams. She was a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 38 and Furman University’s Women’s Leadership Institute. Currently, she is a member the Greenville Chamber’s Leadership Greenville Alumni Advisory Council and the Greenville Chamber’s Women at Work Executive Committee. Jacobs is a member of SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) and SHRM’s local Greenville chapter where she serves on the GSHRM Board of Directors as the Diversity and Inclusion Director.