What can we do if my girlfriend was fired after announcing her pregnancy?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What can we do if my girlfriend was fired after announcing her pregnancy?
My pregnant girlfriend just started a new retail job after being out of work for a year. She has been there for 2 weeks and revealed to her boss that she is pregnant. She then received a call 2 days later saying she was terminated, claiming there is not enough work despite it being so close to Easter. We do not know what to do.
Asked on March 19, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
It is illegal to fire a woman because she is pregnant; that can be both or either of illegal gender-based discrimination or illegal disability-based discrimination (pregnancy may be considered a temporary disability for this purpose). While it is *possible* that the store is telling the truth about the workload and, if they are, it would make sense to let go the recent hire, the timing is very suspicious. Contact the federal EEOC or your state's equal/civil rights agency to file a complaint; let the store show their reason was valid, and not a pretext for illegal discrimination.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.