Maine: Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant and Nursing Workers Must be Provided

Governor Janet Mills recently signed An Act to Protect Pregnant Workers (L.D. 666) into law.  This Act broadens protections for pregnant and nursing employees in a number of ways, and further amends the language of existing provisions to incorporate gender-neutral language.

Specifically, employers will be required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees afflicted with pregnancy-related conditions, unless the accommodation imposes undue hardship upon the employer.  Examples of reasonable accommodations include providing/modifying seating, equipment, or scheduling, temporary transfer to light or less strenuous/hazardous work, longer or more frequent breaks, and accommodations for lactation. Existing anti-discrimination provisions prohibiting employers from treating pregnant workers differently remain in place.

Action Items

1. Have managing staff trained on the interactive process for reasonable accommodations.
2. Subscribers can call our HR Hotline at (833) 268-5531 or send an email to hrsolved@onedigital.com for further assistance.

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