Today marks the 30 year anniversary of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. In recognition of this milestone, the National Partnership for Women and Families has released a report, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: Where We Stand 30 Years Later, on the PDA's effects and proposes some improvements. Highlights include the following:
- charges of pregnancy discrimination to the EEOC increased 65% from 1992 to 2007 with this increase disproportionately attributable to pregnancy discrimination aimed at women of color
- working in a historically female occupation does not significant decrease the likelihood of pregnancy discrimination
- pregnancy discrimination complaints have risen at a rate faster than that by which women have entered the workforce
- overt, direct pregnancy discrimination was not as uncommon as other forms of discrimination with cases including a hotel manager who was repeatedly demoted after announcing her pregnancy and a senior management representative stated that pregnant women were inappropriate for management positions and missed to much work, a maternity clothing specialty store settled a lawsuit based on its policy of not hiring pregnant applicants and a rising star at another company was told to consider her options and had her management training canceled after she announced her pregnancy
- social science research has revealed predominant social attitudes that pregnant women should favor family over their job
