Recessionary discrimination is something that many people may experience now that the economy is taking a turn. Already many large companies have started mass layoffs. When a company lays off workers and says it’s because of economic hardship they may be using that as an excuse to fire employees that they couldn’t otherwise fire because of their race, gender, or other protected reason, including pregnancy. If you’ve been fired because of pregnancy or experienced pregnancy discrimination you may be eligible to file a complaint against your employer.
What Does It Mean When Someone Is A Victim of Recessionary Discrimination When They’re Laid Off?
Recessionary discrimination is when employers use a recession as an excuse to terminate an employee for an illegal reason. Since the US is entering a recession many employers are using the change in finances to justify firing employees and in many cases the recession may not be the reason these employees are getting fired.
How To Tell If I’ve Been Fired As A Result of Pregnancy & Recessionary Discrimination.
It can be difficult to tell if you were fired for your pregnancy and not really because of a recession. But if you have experienced any of these behaviors by your coworkers or employer you may have been fired for your pregnancy and not really because of the recession:
Refusal To Promote
If you were denied a promotion that you due or that you were qualified for because you would be leaving for maternity leave or because of your pregnancy then you were laid off because of the recession it could be the case that you were really fired because of your pregnancy.
Changes To Schedule
If your schedule was changed previously to being fired or you were not given reasonable accommodations for the pregnancy like being allowed to sit down for your shift then you were laid off it may be that your employer laid you off because you couldn’t work certain hours or needed accommodations due to your pregnancy.
Harassment or Bullying
If you heard comments or saw messages in group chats, Teams, or Slack where people were complaining about your pregnancy accommodations or that they had to do extra work because of your pregnancy that’s bullying. If you were laid off it could be due to your boss or coworkers being upset about your pregnancy.
What Should I Do If I Was Fired As A Result of Pregnancy & Recessionary Discrimination?
It’s may be difficult to prove that you were a victim of recessionary discrimination and that you were really fired because of your pregnancy. Gather any evidence you can find that would show a bias against you because of the pregnancy like screenshots of complaints about the pregnancy, copies of your schedule that show the changes, and copies of any special accommodations you asked for as a result of the pregnancy and your employer’s response to them.
Get Help With Your Discrimination Claim
If you think that you were fired for pregnancy and not laid off because of a recession building a strong case with evidence is going to be critically important. Talk to an attorney that specializes in employment law. They may help you build the strongest possible case. Fill out a free Case Evaluation today to get in touch with an independent, participating attorney who subscribed to the website.
Additional Resources
- How To Respond To Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace?
- Wrongfully Terminated Due To Pregnancy
- Everything You Need to Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)
- What is Maternal Discrimination?
