Pregnancy discrimination has been illegal for at least 43 years. You’d think employers would know better. You’d also lose a lot of bets if you bet against the ignorance of some employers.
Meet Awon Phie LLC, which operates a Holiday Inn Express in Corpus Chrisi, Texas, our third nominee for the “Worst Employer of 2021.” How did it earn its nomination? According to a lawsuit the EEOC filed against it, three weeks after hiring an employee to work as a housekeeper, the company’s operations manager, noticing her stomach, told her she was a “liability” because of her pregnancy, that she couldn’t employ a pregnant woman, and fired her.
According to EEOC Trial Attorney Esha Rajendran, “It is important that employers understand that they cannot fire an employee simply because she is pregnant.” She adds, “A pregnant employee who is ready, willing, and able to work has the right to continue to earn a living.” No kidding.
