West Virginia Act Offers Workplace Protections for Pregnant Employees

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has approved a measure to help accommodate pregnant women in the workplace.

The Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act allows employees to request modified duties and other accommodations from employers, such as a chair for cashiers or help with manual labor.

The law mandates employers comply with such accommodations as long as they don’t place undue hardship on employers.

The law also requires employers to provide time for nursing women to express breast milk and prevents employers from turning away qualified job applicants who are pregnant.

This bill becomes effective June 4.