# Pregnancy Lawyer Leave Not Accommodated, Fired, Can't > Employers may owe 12 weeks of FMLA and 16 weeks of Pregnancy Disability Leave for maternity leave, baby bonding Source: https://employeelawca.com/pregnancy-attorney/ Firm: Employment Lawyers Group — employee-side employment lawyers since 1993. Serving Los Angeles County, California. Phone: (323) 525-1600 (calling is the fastest way to reach the legal team) Office: 13418 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Contact form: https://employeelawca.com/contact/ Consultations are free and confidential; cases are taken on contingency. --- Women who are employed by employers with **five or more employees** in California are eligible for maternity leave disability (Pregnancy Disability Leave - PDL). Besides merely taking four months off for maternity leave, pregnant women may also take time off before their pregnancy due to pregnancy-related disabilities. The total number of absences due to pregnancy cannot exceed **four months** unless the employee is also covered by the California Family Rights Leave Act (CFRA), which provides similar job rights as the [Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)](https://employeelawca.com/job-termination-family-medical-leave/). Eligible pregnant women might be able to take up to **7 months** due to pregnancy-related medical conditions. Maternity leave covers time required to give birth and then recover, post-partum issues, and, potentially, time spent giving special care to a new born baby. To trigger these employment rights, the employee must **request time off** for pregnancy-related medical conditions. This request does not have to be in writing, but prudent practices dictate a written record and providing beginning/end dates when possible. Lawsuits typically involve employees losing their jobs or being reinstated to an inferior position after maternity leaves. **To determine if you were unlawfully denied your Full Pregnancy or Maternity Leave Rights CALL [(323) 525-1600](tel:3235251600) for Experienced Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers** ## PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION PDA The term Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) refers to time off needed due to pregnancy-related medical conditions, both before and after childbirth. The California Code of Regulations suggests **30 days' notice** for a PDL request, but this is often waived for sudden medical conditions or emergencies. Employees on PDL are supposed to be **reinstated to their job or a comparable job**. Payment options include using available sick time, PTO, vacation, or opting for short-term disability through the EDD. If an employee is fired for asserting their PDL right, they have grounds for a [wrongful termination](https://employeelawca.com/what-is-wrongful-termination/) lawsuit. ### Employer Liability and Case Results Employers who deny PDL are liable for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, and potential penalties of **$10,000.00**. They must also pay the reasonable attorney fees and costs of the employee who wins the lawsuit. **Substantial results for pregnant women who were fired or mistreated included:** - **$365,000** following a won jury trial for an employee refused accommodation for lifting restrictions. - **$342,500** in 2018 dollars for a warehouse worker forced to violate lifting restrictions. - **$168,000** in 2018 dollars for an employee fired due to a pregnancy-related medical appointment. - A jury verdict with punitive damages for a warehouse worker mistreated due to pregnancy. - Multiple **$125,000–$150,000** settlements. *The above case results are neither a guarantee nor prediction of future success.* PREGNANT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION Pregnancy discrimination occurs when pregnant women are denied the same job opportunities as non-pregnant women—for instance, being prevented from traveling, which affects advancement or earning potential. A **failure to allow** a pregnant woman to do work she normally does is discrimination if neither she nor her doctor has requested such a restriction. We focus on cases that fall into clear categories: - Failure to accommodate a pregnancy-related medical restriction (discrimination). - Job termination (job discrimination). - Active harassment due to pregnancy. ### What is Pregnancy Harassment? Obvious examples of pregnancy harassment involve situations in which the employee is **made fun of**, including taunting or making disparaging remarks about their presence and physical abilities. Forcing an employee to perform tasks that violate her pregnancy restrictions might be both a **failure to accommodate** and **harassment**, especially if the supervisor intends to make the employee miserable. *We only represent employees on a contingency basis and are only paid when and if we collect from the employer.* **Get results, call an experienced employee law firm at [(323) 525-1600](tel:3235251600).** We handle employee lawsuits all over California from our offices in [Bakersfield](https://bakersfieldlaborattorney.com/), Los Angeles, [Sherman Oaks](https://worklawyerca.com/), [Oxnard](https://venturaemploymentlawyer.com/), San Diego, [San Francisco](https://bayareaemploymentattorney.net/), [San Jose](https://sivalleylaborlawyer.com/), [Riverside](https://RiversideEmploymentLawyer.com), [Tustin](https://worklawyeroc.com), [Torrance](https://jobterminationlaw.com/), and [Ontario](https://employmentattorneysanbernardino.com/). ## Our Firm: No Upfront Fees or Costs ### Contingency Fee Representation All employment cases for employees are taken on a **contingency basis**. We are only paid a fee **when and if we win** your case, and we **advance all litigation costs**. Our goal is to make expert legal representation accessible to every hardworking employee. ### Serving Los Angeles County We have proudly served all of Los Angeles County since 1993. Ready to discuss your case? (323) 525-1600 Submit A Contact Form The Employment Lawyers Group has successfully handled 2,000+ Separate California Employment Cases ## Media Engagements ## Sample Case Results breach of commission contract $1,150,000 Unpaid commissions of two plaintiffs unpaid wages $875,000 For 4 oil field service industry workers whose times worked were not recorded on timesheets and were on-call forced to work without pay standby pay case $800,000 Controlled stand by class action settlement Disclaimer: These results are based on the facts of these specific cases and do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case. ## Practice Areas [Discrimination Age, Disability, FMLA/CFRA, Gender, National Origin, Pregnancy, Race, and Sexual Orientation discrimination claims.](https://employeelawca.com/discrimination-lawyer-in-los-angeles/) [Unpaid Wages & Overtime Recovering earnings for overtime, bonuses, commissions, meal & rest break violations, and prevailing wage claims.](https://employeelawca.com/unpaid-wages/) [Sexual Harassment Compassionate and effective representation for sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims.](https://employeelawca.com/sexual-harassment/) [Wrongful Termination Representing employees terminated in violation of public policy, contracts, or California and federal law.](https://employeelawca.com/wrongful-termination/) [Leaves & Retaliation Protecting employees who face adverse actions after reporting illegal activity or taking protected medical leave.](https://employeelawca.com/absences/) [Whistleblowers Advocating for employees who report fraud, waste, or abuse under California and federal whistleblower protection laws.](https://employeelawca.com/los-angeles-financial-whistleblower/) ## Our California Locations ### Bakersfield [BakersfieldLaborAttorney.com](https://bakersfieldlaborattorney.com) 5401 Business Park S, #214, Bakersfield CA 93309 [(661) 412-9600](tel:6614129600) ### Los Angeles [EmployeeLawCA.com](https://employeelawca.com/) 611 Wilshire Blvd, #1023, Los Angeles CA 90017 [(323) 525-1600](tel:3235251600) ### Orange County [WorkLawyerOC.com](https://worklawyeroc.com) 2522 Chambers Rd, #100, Tustin CA 92780 [(714) 210-8000](tel:7142108000) ### Riverside [RiversideEmploymentLawyer.com](https://riversideemploymentlawyer.com) 9496 Magnolia Ave, #208, Riverside CA 92503 [(951) 367-1000](tel:9513671000) ### Sacramento [SacramentoLaborAttorney.com](https://sacramentolaborattorney.com) 777 Campus Commons Rd, #200, Sacramento CA 95825 [(916) 340-0000](tel:9163400000) ### San Bernardino [EmploymentAttorneySanBernardino.com](https://employmentattorneysanbernardino.com) 337 N. Vineyard Ave, #400, Ontario CA 91764 [(909) 663-2100](tel:9096632100) ### San Diego [SanDiegoEmployeeLawyer.com](https://sandiegoemployeelawyer.com) 330 "A" St, #60, San Diego CA 92101 [(619) 320-3000](tel:6193203000) ### San Francisco / Bay Area [BayAreaEmploymentAttorney.net](https://bayareaemploymentattorney.net) 524 Union St, #400, San Francisco CA 94133 [(877) 525-0700](tel:8775250700) ### San Jose / Silicon Valley [SiValleyLaborLawyer.com](https://sivalleylaborlawyer.com) 111 N. Market St, #300, San Jose CA 95113 [(877) 525-0700](tel:8775250700) ### Sherman Oaks [WorkLawyerCA.com](https://worklawyerca.com) 13418 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks CA 91423 [(818) 783-7300](tel:8187837300) ### Torrance / South Bay [JobTerminationLaw.com](https://jobterminationlaw.com/) 3655 Torrance Blvd, 3rd Floor, Torrance CA 90503 [(310) 842-8600](tel:3108428600) ### Ventura / Oxnard [VenturaEmploymentLawyer.com](https://venturaemploymentlawyer.com) 4030 West Hemlock St, Oxnard CA 93035 [(805) 200-0100](tel:8052000100) ### Additional Sites [BostonLaborLaw.com](https://bostonlaborlaw.com) [DcLaborAttorney.com](https://dclaborattorney.com) [FresnoEmployeeLawyer.com](https://fresnoemployeelawyer.com) [JobLawyer.net](https://joblawyer.net) [MarylandLaborAttorney.com](https://marylandlaborattorney.com/) [ModemStud.com](https://modemstud.com) [VintageLosAngeles.org](https://vintagelosangeles.org) [WorkplaceLawyer.org](https://workplacelawyer.org) ## About Firm Founder, Karl Gerber Firm Founder, **Karl Gerber**, has been an employment and wrongful termination attorney since **1993**. He has represented a wide range of employees throughout California. Mr. Gerber has won **51 of the binding arbitrations and jury trials** he first chaired, and a number of his appeals are published. This deep trial experience is the foundation of the firm's strategic approach to litigation. The employment attorneys employed by the Employment Lawyers Group have worked at the firm well in excess of five years, have also tried many different labor cases, and have all been **extensively trained on employment and wrongful termination law by Karl Gerber**. [Meet Karl Gerber](https://employeelawca.com/karl-gerber/) ## Ready to Discuss Your Case? Your rights as an employee matter. Submit a contact form and we'll get back to you. Submit A Contact Form [Call (323) 525-1600 Now](tel:3235251600)