Los Angeles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

A Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination lawyer at Abramson Labor Group represents employees punished at work because of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or a related condition. That includes workers who were fired, demoted, denied leave or refused accommodations. We serve workers across Los Angeles County from our Burbank office, in English and Spanish. The case review is free. We work on contingency, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover money for you.

4.5 stars across 1,900+ Google reviews. No fees unless we win.

Why Choose Abramson Labor Group?

Abramson Labor Group represents employees, never employers. Founding partner Zev Abramson started the firm in 2015, earned his J.D. at Loyola Law School, and is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA).

• Documented pregnancy results: $500,000 and $270,000 for two clients who were discriminated against and wrongfully terminated based on pregnancy. See more on our case results page. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
• 4.5 stars across 1,900+ Google reviews (as of September 2026).
• Consultations and case communication in English and Spanish, with intake also available in Armenian.
• A contingency fee: the case review is free, and you owe no attorney fees if there is no recovery.
• One office at 1700 W Burbank Blvd in Burbank. It serves the San Fernando Valley, Glendale, Pasadena, Hollywood, Downtown LA and the rest of the county.

Many pregnant workers hold hourly, shift-based jobs in restaurants, hotels, warehouses, stores and home health care. For them, a lost weekend shift or a forced unpaid leave hurts right away. That is why we look closely at schedules, tips and hours, not only at the final termination.

What Counts as Pregnancy Discrimination in California?

Pregnancy discrimination happens when an employer treats a worker worse because of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or a related medical condition. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), employers with 5 or more employees may not discriminate based on sex. The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) says sex includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related conditions.

The harm does not have to be a firing. Cut hours, lost shifts, a demotion or a denied promotion can all be part of a claim. So can a refused accommodation or hostile comments about the pregnancy. The core question is whether the pregnancy, rather than a real business reason, drove the decision.

California regulations also protect workers with related medical conditions. The CRD rules list examples such as severe morning sickness, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and postpartum depression. They also cover pregnancy-induced hypertension, mastitis and the loss or end of a pregnancy (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 11035). Some of these conditions can also support a disability discrimination claim.

What Does Pregnancy Discrimination Look Like at Work?

The pattern often starts small and builds. These examples show how it can look in Los Angeles workplaces:

• A server loses her weekend shifts, the ones with the best tips, a week after she tells her manager she is pregnant.
• A hotel housekeeper brings a doctor’s lifting restriction and hears “start your leave” instead of a talk about lighter rooms.
• A warehouse worker asks about modified duties and lands on unpaid leave with no discussion of other options.
• A retail employee loses a promised promotion two weeks after announcing her pregnancy.
• A home health aide gets written up for absences that were prenatal appointments her supervisor already knew about.

The evidence that ties the change to the pregnancy is often the timing and the employer’s shifting explanations. Another clue is how the employer treats coworkers who are not pregnant. Our guide on how to prove pregnancy discrimination in California explains what to document.

Which Laws Protect Pregnant Workers in Los Angeles?

Several state and federal laws overlap. Which ones apply depends mostly on how many people your employer has and what happened to you.

Sources: CRD employment page, CRD Pregnancy Disability Leave fact sheet, Labor Commissioner lactation guidance, EEOC PWFA guidance and EEOC pregnancy discrimination page.

Do You Need a Pregnancy Disability Leave Lawyer in Los Angeles?

Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) gives job-protected time off when pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition keeps you from working. It applies at employers with 5 or more employees. There is no minimum time on the job or hours requirement, according to the CRD fact sheet. A lawyer can help when your employer denies, shortens or punishes that leave.

Key PDL rights under Government Code section 12945 and the CRD regulations:

• Up to four months of leave per pregnancy, not per year. Four months equals 17 1/3 weeks, or 693 hours for a 40-hour-a-week employee (2 CCR § 11042).
• Leave as needed, including intermittent leave or a reduced schedule, such as during severe morning sickness.
• Continued group health coverage. The employer must keep paying for your group health plan during the leave if it normally pays for it.
• A guaranteed right to return to the same position, with limited exceptions. If no return date was set, the employer must reinstate you within two business days of your notice (2 CCR § 11043).
• Protection from interference. An employer may not interfere with, restrain or deny your use of these rights (Gov. Code § 12945(a)(4)).

PDL itself is unpaid. Your employer may require you to use accrued sick leave, and you may choose to use vacation or other paid time off. You may also qualify for State Disability Insurance wage replacement, the CRD fact sheet explains.

How Does PDL Work With CFRA Baby Bonding Leave?

PDL and CFRA are separate rights, not one combined block. The CRD states that CFRA leave is not for pregnancy-related conditions and that employees may take it in addition to pregnancy leave. If you qualify for both, you can use up to four months of PDL while disabled. Up to 12 weeks of CFRA bonding leave can follow. CFRA requires more than 12 months with the employer and at least 1,250 hours in the past year. Our CFRA vs. FMLA guide and maternity leave guide cover the timing, and California Paid Family Leave can replace part of your wages during bonding time.

What Pregnancy Accommodations Must an Employer Consider?

California employers must provide a reasonable accommodation for a pregnancy-related condition when you request one on the advice of your health care provider (Gov. Code § 12945(a)(3)(A)). The employer and employee must then work through a good-faith interactive process to find an accommodation that works (2 CCR § 11040).

Accommodations an employer may need to consider include these examples from CRD and EEOC guidance:

• Lifting limits, light duty or help with manual tasks.
• More frequent or longer breaks to rest, eat, drink water or use the restroom.
• A stool or other change to equipment or workstations.
• Telework, where the job allows it.
• A temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous job for the rest of the pregnancy. Your doctor must advise it, and the transfer must be reasonable to arrange (Gov. Code § 12945(a)(3)(C)).

An employer may ask for a medical certification, but it may not ignore the request or skip the conversation. At employers with 15 or more employees, the federal PWFA also bars requiring leave when another reasonable accommodation would let you keep working, according to the EEOC. Our reasonable accommodation guide explains how to make the request in writing.

What Are Your Lactation Rights After You Return to Work?

Under Labor Code section 1030, your employer must give you a reasonable amount of break time to express milk each time you need it. The space must be private, close to your work area and not a bathroom. The Labor Commissioner says an employee can recover one hour of pay for each violation through a wage claim. Firing or punishing a worker for needing to pump can also be part of a pregnancy discrimination claim.

Were You Fired During or After Maternity Leave?

A firing during pregnancy leave or soon after you return is one of the clearest warning signs of pregnancy discrimination. California guarantees a return to the same position after PDL, with limited exceptions. An employer that leaves you without your job has to justify that decision. A Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer looks at whether the firing connects to the leave or to the pregnancy behind it.

What If Your Employer Says the Position Was Eliminated?

Employers often say a job was “eliminated” while the worker was out. The CRD regulations excuse reinstatement to the same job only in limited situations. The explanation deserves a closer look when:

• Your role was the only one cut.
• Someone was hired to do your work while you were on leave.
• Coworkers in similar roles kept their jobs.
• The decision came right after you asked for leave or an accommodation.

Were You Demoted, Reassigned, or Passed Over After Announcing Pregnancy?

Pregnancy discrimination does not always end in termination. Many workers see their hours, duties or chances for promotion shrink after the employer learns about the pregnancy. For a server who loses dinner shifts or a hotel worker moved from full-time to part-time, the pay cut is immediate.

Some comments show bias based on stereotypes about caregiving or commitment. Examples include “you probably want to stay home now” or “we need someone who is fully available.” These cases often overlap with gender discrimination. If the treatment started after you complained or asked about your rights, it may also be workplace retaliation.

What Compensation May Be Available in a Pregnancy Discrimination Claim?

The value of a claim depends on how long the conduct lasted, how much pay you lost and how strong the evidence is. No lawyer can promise an outcome. The CRD lists possible outcomes that include:

How Long Do You Have to File a Pregnancy Discrimination Claim in California?

For a FEHA claim, you generally have three years from the date you were last harmed to file with the CRD (Gov. Code § 12960(e)(5)). Other deadlines are much shorter, so do not wait to get advice.

Most FEHA cases follow the same path. The worker files with the CRD, which may investigate, offer mediation or issue a right-to-sue notice. The worker may then file a lawsuit in court.

Pregnancy Discrimination Claims Across Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County runs on service jobs where a manager controls the schedule. Think of restaurant and bar staff in Hollywood, Downtown LA and the Westside. Add hotel housekeepers, banquet crews, warehouse workers in the eastern county and home health aides. All of them depend on shift decisions that can change overnight after a pregnancy announcement.

We represent pregnant workers throughout the county from our Burbank office, including clients in Glendale, Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley. For other workplace claims in the city, see our Los Angeles employment lawyers page.

Do I Need a Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney?

Not every bad experience at work is illegal. A legal review makes sense when the facts suggest your employer changed course because of your pregnancy, not because of a real business reason. These signs are worth a call:

• Your treatment changed soon after you disclosed the pregnancy or asked for an accommodation.
• You were fired during or shortly after pregnancy leave.
• Your hours, duties or promotion chances dropped with no clear explanation.
• Your employer put you on leave instead of discussing your doctor’s restrictions.
• You were denied break time or a private space to pump.

For the statewide picture, see our California pregnancy discrimination practice page.

FAQs for Los Angeles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer

Can My Employer Fire Me After I Say I Am Pregnant?

Not because of the pregnancy. FEHA bars employers with 5 or more employees from firing workers because of pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition. An employer may still act for a real, unrelated reason, so the timing and consistency of its explanation matter.

Can My Employer Cut My Hours Because I Am Pregnant?

No. Cutting hours, shifts or schedule options because a worker is pregnant can be pregnancy discrimination under FEHA. If your hours dropped after you announced your pregnancy and your employer has no clear business reason, the change may support a claim.

Can My Employer Force Me to Start Leave Early?

Often not. California requires employers to consider reasonable accommodations requested on your doctor’s advice and to engage in the interactive process. At employers with 15 or more employees, the federal PWFA also bars requiring leave when another accommodation would let you keep working.

Is Pregnancy Disability Leave Paid in California?

PDL itself is unpaid, but it is job-protected. You may use sick leave, vacation or other paid time off. You may also qualify for State Disability Insurance wage replacement through the EDD. Your employer must keep paying for group health coverage during the leave if it normally does.

Does Pregnancy Leave Apply If I Just Started My Job?

Yes. PDL has no minimum time on the job or hours requirement. It applies at any employer with 5 or more full- or part-time employees. CFRA bonding leave is different and requires more than 12 months with the employer and 1,250 hours.

How Much Does a Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyer Cost?

Abramson Labor Group works on contingency, so you do not pay anything unless we win. The case evaluation is free, and you will not pay for legal counsel or court fees out of pocket. Our fee is a share of any settlement or verdict, and if there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fees.

Can I Be Retaliated Against for Asking About Pregnancy Rights?

Not legally. An employer may not interfere with your pregnancy leave and accommodation rights (Gov. Code § 12945(a)(4)), and FEHA bars retaliation against workers who complain about discrimination. Discipline, schedule cuts, demotion or firing in response can support a retaliation claim separate from the discrimination claim.

Your Next Step After Pregnancy Discrimination

If your employer’s treatment changed after you became pregnant, asked for an accommodation or took leave, those facts matter under California law. The reason your employer gives is not always the real reason. A legal review can show whether the evidence tells a different story.

Request a free case evaluation, send us a message or call (213) 493-6300. We offer consultations in English and Spanish. You do not pay ANYTHING unless we win!

Last updated: October 2026

This page provides general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.