The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the PWFA) became effective in 2014; if you work in New York City and become pregnant, employers with four or more employees are prohibited from discriminating against you. More importantly, the PWFA requires that employers reasonably accommodate an employee due to her pregnancy, child birth, or related medical condition.

Unfortunately, discrimination in the workplace against people with disabilities is something that occurs too often. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects employees with disabilities from discrimination. The law does more than that because it also requires that an employer reasonably accommodate the employee’s disability so long as he or she can continue with the accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

Enacted in 1993, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law protecting an employee’s right to unpaid time off to care for themselves or a sick family member. Under this law, employees are guaranteed up to 12 work weeks of protected and unpaid leave for a period of one year when they have qualifying medical or family needs. To be covered for FMLA leave, you must have worked at least 1250 hour in the past 12 months and work for an employer with 50 or more employees.

While companies are allowed to fire employees for no reason, they can’t fire an employee for a reason prohibited by law. Companies wrongfully terminate employees based on factors that are not based on financial need or job performance; such as gender, age, race, retaliation for exercising their rights, and more. This can have a devastating effect on a person, as they may not only be emotionally affected, but also financially. Fortunately, if you have been the victim of wrongful termination, you have legal options available to you for getting the justice you are seeking and the fair treatment you deserve.