Beginning in October 2013, employees in Maryland will have greater protections against pregnancy discrimination. Specifically, under recent amendment to the Maryland law, pregnant workers have a statutory right to a reasonable accommodation if the pregnancy causes or contributes to a disability and the accommodation does not impose an undue hardship on the employer.The new amendments to the law provide that an employee disabled and caused by pregnancy or contributed to by pregnancy may request a reasonable accommodation and the employer must explore “all possible means of providing the reasonable accommodation.” The law provided various examples of possible reasonable accommodation, including:
The law also mandates that requires an employer to provide notice in an employee handbook or post a notice in a conspicuous location about an employee’s right to reasonable accommodation and leave for disability caused or contributed to by pregnancy.
