Protect pregnant women in the workplace

As the saying goes, a mother’s love is unconditional. Our mothers and grandmothers have sacrificed, protected, nurtured and simply loved us without asking anything in return. For our moms-to-be who chose to keep working during their pregnancies, common sense would dictate that their employer provide safe and comfortable work environments, without condition. Unfortunately, and for far too long, that has not been the case.

Today I will sign House Bill 8 to ensure all working pregnant women in Illinois are guaranteed supportive work environments without having to worry about their babies’ safety. There is no room in the workplace for any kind of discrimination, especially against our expectant mothers.

Across the state and nation, more and more female employees are driving the country’s workforce. Two-thirds of first-time mothers now work while pregnant. That’s nearly double the number who worked in the 1960s. And an increasing number of women — eight in 10 — work into their final two months of pregnancy. At the same time, there are an increasing number of reports that employers often refuse to accommodate pregnant workers’ conditions.

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