ANALYSIS: State Pregnancy Accommodation Laws Fill Federal Gaps

As of the Oct. 1 effective date of Tennessee’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, more than half of the states will require private employers to provide accommodations to pregnant workers. That number could go even higher if states like New Hampshire and Iowa enact accommodation laws already in the works.

But that growing list of states is still just a patchwork of protections, albeit one that’s likely to remain intact even if a recent federal proposal becomes law.

Even though pregnant worker accommodations, like offering light-duty work or providing a chair for a normally standing role, may seem uncontroversial, the ...