N.J. company must pay $25K to employee who alleged pregnancy discrimination
Updated Apr 09, 2021;
Posted Apr 09, 2021
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A Hudson County fulfillment company will pay $25,000 to an employee who alleged the business discriminated against her during her while she was pregnant, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said Friday.
The now-former employee filed a complaint against the Bergen Logistics of North Bergen, claiming the fulfillment warehouse wouldn’t made reasonable accommodations for her during her pregnancy, including bathroom breaks and a limit on lifting loads over 20 pounds, according to a news release.
An investigation by the attorney general’s Division on Civil Rights revealed the company had instituted a policy saying that employees may only work work then they are not under medical restrictions a violation of New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws.
North Bergen company to pay ex-employee $25k as part of pregnancy discrimination settlement
Photo via mmh.com.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The settlement involves a former packager for the North Bergen order-fulfillment company Bergen Logistics, who alleges that the company denied her request for pregnancy-related accommodations, including as-needed bathroom breaks and a 20-pound limit on any items she would be assigned to lift.
After she filed a complaint, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights investigation found that Bergen Logistics made no effort to accommodate her pregnancy but instead required her to take unpaid family leave.
“Our laws prohibit pregnancy-related discrimination in employment to protect workplace equality and to ensure that workers aren’t penalized for having children,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.
North Bergen company settles pregnancy discrimination suit
North Bergen company settles pregnancy discrimination suit ×
The woman was allegedly denied as-needed bathroom breaks and denied a 20-pound limit on items she would be assigned to lift.
A Hudson County company will pay a former employee $25,000 and implement workplace policy reforms under a settlement to resolve the former employee’s complaint of unlawful pregnancy discrimination, after an investigation by the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), according to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
The settlement coincides with DCR issuing Findings of Probable Cause in two other pregnancy-related cases, involving women whose requests for pregnancy-related accommodations resulted in losing their jobs.
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The state Supreme Court in its first consideration of the New Jersey Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ruled Tuesday that the Ocean Township Police Department discriminated against a pregnant police officer who was forced to cut short her light-duty assignment and use up her paid leave time prior to giving birth.
The high court’s ruling in a lawsuit brought by Officer Kathleen J. Delanoy against Ocean Township said the police department’s different standard operating procedures covering light-duty assignments for pregnant officers and injured officers discriminated against Delanoy by requiring her to use all of her accumulated paid leave to qualify for a light-duty assignment while pregnant. Under the policy covering injured officers, the police chief could and did on at least two occasions waive the requirement to use up accumulated paid leave time, according to the court s decision.