By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general as part of a nationwide effort to protect the equal rights of pregnant women in the workplace.

Bonta co-signed an amicus brief with his peers defending the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s rule to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) enacted in 2022. The brief was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to support the rule requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant and postpartum employees including abortion care. The rule is being challenged by a coalition of 17 other state attorneys general spearheaded by Tennessee.

“PWFA empowers individuals to continue contributing to our economy while providing much-needed protections without compromising their health or their family’s well-being,” said Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to fight baseless attacks to this rule, which creates a fair and inclusive work environment for all.”

The PWFA law was enacted in 2022, it was the first federal law that required employers to offer accommodation workers for pregnancy-related medical conditions during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. In 2023, the agency responsible for enforcing the law proposed a rule that required employers to provide accommodations for workers terminated by abortion in the form of time off to attend a medical appointment or recovery.

The coalition argued that the pregnancy law provides critical and overdue protections for employees. The brief stated that the law extends to low-wage employees and workers of color who are more likely to suffer detrimental health outcomes during pregnancy due to their jobs.

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