There are several federal laws in place to protect pregnant women and women with newborns in the workplace. Over time, the laws have become more expansive so as to not only prevent discrimination based on pregnancy, but to provide leave entitlement and most recently to provide lactation privacy rights. The laws promote the necessity of women in the workforce while recognizing the importance of motherhood.
In 1978, 14 years following its passage, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended to include the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). A new subsection was added that provided as follows:
