Pregnancy Discrimination: Protecting Your Career & Family
Starting or growing a family is a significant milestone, but for many working women in California, it comes with a hidden fear: losing their job or being sidelined. Employers often make illegal assumptions about a pregnant worker’s commitment, stamina, or future availability.
But here is the truth: Your career should never be a casualty of your pregnancy.
At Rastegar Law Group, we believe that pregnant workers deserve a safe, supportive, and lawful workplace. We are here to help you navigate pregnancy-related laws, protect your job, and hold negligent employers accountable.
Pregnancy Discrimination
Are Your Rights Being Violated?
Check the signs of Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination can happen during hiring, throughout your pregnancy, or when you attempt to return to work. Use this checklist to identify if your employer’s actions violate California law:
Sudden Firing or Sidelining
You are terminated, laid off, or demoted shortly after disclosing your pregnancy or requesting maternity leave.
Refusal of Reasonable Accommodations
Your employer refuses to provide minor modifications (such as a place to sit, light-duty work, or extra restroom breaks) recommended by your doctor.
Maternity Leave Retaliation
When you return from job-protected leave, you find your original position is gone, your pay is cut, or you are treated as a “disruption.”
Pumping Restrictions
Your employer fails to provide a private, clean space (not a bathroom) and reasonable break times to pump breast milk.
Biased Hiring Decisions
You are denied a job because you are pregnant, or because the hiring manager assumes you will soon take leave.
Important Realization: The safety of your pregnancy is a matter for you and your doctor—not your employer. Employers are legally prohibited from forcing you to take leave or switch roles based on their “concern” for your safety.
Taking Back Control: How We Help You
Dealing with workplace stress while pregnant or caring for a newborn is exhausting. We handle the legal battle so you can focus on your health and your family.
Here is how we stand by you, step-by-step:
1
We Listen to Your Story
During your free consultation, we listen to your situation and evaluate your options.
2
We Secure Your Right to Leave
We help protect your right to pregnancy and family leave under California law.
3
We Expose the “Pretext”
We uncover the real reasons behind unlawful employment decisions affecting you.
4
We Fight for Your Recovery
We seek compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, and other available damages.
Best of all, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we charge no fee unless and until we successfully recover compensation for you.
The Legal Foundation: What Protects You?
California workers are shielded by powerful overlapping federal and state laws:
The Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (PDLL)
Requires California employers with 5 or more employees to provide up to four months of unpaid, job-protected leave for workers disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
The California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
Grants eligible employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected bonding leave after birth, adoption, or foster placement.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978
A federal law that classifies discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions as illegal sex discrimination under Title VII.
Under California law and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), your employer must provide a private, secure, and clean room (other than a bathroom) and reasonable unpaid break times for you to express breast milk. If they fail to do so, they face significant state penalties.
Why Rastegar Law Group
Three Decades. One Focus.
We’ve dedicated our entire practice to representing employees wronged by their employers — no corporate defense work, no divided loyalties.
Since 1991
Admitted to Practice
Over 35 years of exclusive focus on California employment law and worker rights.
108 Years
Combined Experience
Our attorneys bring deep expertise in the tactics employers use to avoid accountability.
Statewide
California Coverage
Offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. We represent workers throughout the entire state.
Let’s Talk About Your Case
Legal deadlines can arrive sooner than expected. Speaking with an attorney early can help preserve important evidence, protect your rights, and give you a clearer understanding of the path forward.