First lawsuit under Pregnant Workers Fairness Act filed against Indiana company

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against an Indiana company this week. The EEOC said it is the first federal lawsuit under the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The law requires an employer with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable pregnancy accommodations in the workplace.

According to the lawsuit, a pregnant employee at Wabash National Corporation — a trucking company based in Lafayette — wanted to transfer to a role that did not require them to lie on their stomach.

Instead of making this accommodation, the company allegedly gave the employee one option: taking unpaid leave. The EEOC said the company also illegally requested medical documentation from the employee, who left the job nearly eight months pregnant in fear of the health of her pregnancy.

READ MORE: With federal pregnant worker protections in place, Indiana groups work to raise awareness
 

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In a statement, Wabash National Corporation said it "has always been and continues to be committed to taking care of our employees, including our pregnant employees, and complying with the law."

Timoria is our labor and employment reporter. Contact her at tcunningham@wfyi.org.