10-02-2019
Before 2015, United Parcel Service accommodated injured workers, those workers with driving restrictions, and workers with disabilities with light duty. Pregnant workers were not entitled to these same accommodations. A pregnant UPS worker filed a charge of discrimination that was ultimately resolved but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proceeded with its investigation, focusing on other pregnant workers.
The current settlement is limited to workers who were pregnant between 2012 and 2014 and suffered losses during their pregnancy because they were not accommodated. The damages primarily consist of the difference between short-term disability payments and the amount the pregnant workers would have received if they remained on duty.
In 2015, UPS changed its policy to accommodate pregnant union workers with light duty. Under the conciliation agreement with the EEOC, UPS will now extend that accommodation to all pregnant workers and include childbirth and related medical conditions as defined under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Human Resources and supervisory employees will receive training on the policy, employees will be notified of the changes in policy, and UPS must report to the EEOC on pregnancy accommodation requests and complaints. UPS’s response to the settlement was “Our maternity leave benefits have included paid time off and opportunities for light-duty assignments for several years, and this agreement reinforces that commitment.”