On July 27, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which amends the state’s antidiscrimination law to include pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, such as breastfeeding, as protected classes. The new law, which goes into effect on April 1, 2018, also requires employers to provide pregnant employees and new mothers with reasonable accommodations unless such accommodations would cause the employer undue hardship. Potential accommodations identified in the statute include:
- more frequent or longer breaks
- paid or unpaid leave to recover from childbirth
- modification of equipment
- temporary transfer to a different position
- light duty
- a private space that is not a restroom for expressing breast milk
- modified work schedules