It’s truly amazing that employers still don’t get it! An employee happily annouces, “I’m pregnant!” to co-workers and management. While co-workers celebrated with her, management apparently had other ideas. Sara Hillins employed by Marketing Architects Inc. decided to take maternity leave for 14 weeks. A couple of days later, her promotion disappeared and so did her management position.

When the time to take leave approached Ms. Hillins wanted to know if she would be employed after the birth of her child. “A lot of women say that they’re going to come back and they don’t, so we need to proceed like you’re not coming back.” is the comment her manager allegedly made. He was also reported to have replied in reference to her job, he didn’t know what her job “will look like” once she came back from pregnancy leave. In further commentary the manager was to have said he ““wished that [she would] just spend time at home with her son when he was born.” WOWWW!!

Just when you think an employer could not be any more stupid, Marketing Architects Inc. decided to eliminate Ms. Hillins job in a (RIF) reduction in force while she was on leave. Sarah Hillins filed (PDA) Pregnancy Discrimination Act and retaliation lawsuit(s). Of course, Marketing Architects Inc. claimed the RIF was business necessity and justified.

Well, even Stevie Wonder could see through that! The court decided the RIF wasn’t justified and the court approved the retaliation claim. According to the (EEOC) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Women cannot be singled out of work simply
because they become pregnant … The EEOC rigorously defends a woman’s right to be and stay employed irrespective of her child bearing status.”

Thank GOD courts are serious about protecting the employees from pregnancy discrimination

(Hillins v. Marketing Architects Inc., D. Minn., No. 10-02845, 9/6/11)