Pregnancy Accommodation Lawyers
Reasonable Accommodation for Pregnancy
Pregnancy should not place your livelihood at risk. California law provides important protections for employees who are pregnant, recovering from childbirth, or experiencing related medical conditions. Those protections include the right to reasonable accommodation and the right to be free from retaliation for requesting it. Yet in practice, many employees are denied accommodations, pushed onto unnecessary leave, or pressured to step away from their jobs under the guise of “business needs.”
Akopyan Law Firm, A.P.C. focuses its practice on employment litigation and does not operate as a high-volume, advertising-driven practice. Our work focuses on careful legal analysis, disciplined case development, and principled advocacy. When we evaluate a pregnancy accommodation matter, we do so with an eye toward what the law actually requires and how those requirements were handled — or ignored — by the employer.
Pregnancy Accommodation Rights Under California Law
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical issues. These obligations are set out primarily in Government Code sections 12940 and 12945, and they apply regardless of whether an employee is experiencing a complication or an uncomplicated pregnancy.
A reasonable accommodation is any adjustment or modification that allows an employee to perform the essential functions of their job safely. In many cases, accommodations are temporary and modest, but they can make the difference between continued employment and unnecessary job loss. The law also requires employers to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process once an accommodation is requested or the need becomes known.
Employers generally may not deny accommodations simply because they prefer uniform policies, because accommodations require planning, or because they have not encountered the request before. The legal standard is whether the accommodation is reasonable, not whether it is convenient.
How Pregnancy Accommodation Violations Commonly Occur
Pregnancy discrimination often appears subtle on the surface. Employees are frequently told that they are being treated “the same as everyone else,” even when equal treatment results in unequal harm. Others are told that leave is their only option, even though employers cannot a pregnant employee onto leave when a reasonable accommodation would allow continued work.
We regularly see situations in which employers fail to engage in the interactive process in good faith, ignore medical documentation, unilaterally reduce hours or duties, or respond negatively once an accommodation request is made. Retaliation may take the form of discipline, sudden performance criticisms, demotions, or termination. These actions are often unlawful, even when framed as neutral business decisions.
A Deliberate Alternative to Billboard Firms
Many employees contact us after speaking with firms that promised easy outcomes without examining the facts. Pregnancy accommodation claims deserve more than scripted intake calls and form demand letters. They require judgment, preparation, and a willingness to confront employers with well-supported legal arguments. Our firm intentionally limits the number of cases we accept. That selectivity allows for direct attorney involvement, candid advice, and realistic assessments from the outset. If a claim lacks legal support, we will not undertake representation. That level of honesty protects our clients and strengthens our credibility in negotiations and in court.
When to Speak With an Employment Attorney
You should consider seeking legal advice if your employer denied or ignored a pregnancy-related accommodation request, placed you on leave instead of working through accommodations, changed your job duties or schedule after you disclosed your pregnancy, or took adverse action after you requested accommodations. Early guidance can be critical. Delay often allows employers to control the record and limit available remedies.
Our Approach: Skill, Strategy, and Professional Judgment
Akopyan Law Firm, A.P.C. does not advertise quick fixes or guaranteed outcomes. The firm provides employees with thoughtful legal counsel grounded in California employment law and careful factual analysis. Pregnancy accommodation matters are evaluated with attention to statutory obligations, factual context, and litigation risk. Consultations are confidential. Representation is selective. Advocacy is serious. Call us today at (818) 509-9975 or contact us online to schedule a complimentary case evaluation.
Areas Served
The litigation and trial attorneys of the Akopyan Law Firm, A.P.C. provide services throughout Southern California including but not limited to Adelanto, Agoura Hills, Alhambra, Aliso Viejo, Altadena, Anaheim, Apple Valley, Arcadia, Arleta, Atwater Village, Azuza, Bakersfield, Baldwin Park, Banning, Beaumont, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Beverly Hills, Blythe, Boyle Heights, Brea, Brentwood, Buena Park, Burbank, Calabasas, Calimesa, Camarillo, Canoga Park, Canyon Lake, Carson, Cathedral City, Cerritos, Chatsworth, Chino Hills, Chino, Claremont, Coachella, Colton, Compton, Costa Mesa, Corona, Covina, Culver City, Cypress, Dana Point, Desert Hot Springs, Diamond Bar, Downey, Duarte, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Eastvale, Echo Park, El Monte, El Segundo, El Sereno, Encino, Fontana, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Gardena, Garden Grove, Glassell Park, Glendale, Glendora, Granada Hills, Hacienda Heights, Hawthorne, Hemet, Hesperia, Highland Park, Highland, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park, Indian Wells, Indio, Inglewood, Irvine, Jurupa Valley, La Canada Flintridge, La-Crescenta Montrose, La Habra, La Mirada, La Palma, La Puente, La Quinta, La Verne, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lakewood, Lake Balboa, Lake Elsinore, Lake Forest, Lancaster, Lawndale, Lincoln Heights, Loma Linda, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach, Mar Vista, Maywood, Menifee, Mission Hills, Mission Viejo, Monrovia, Montclair, Montebello, Monterey Park, Moorpark, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Newbury Park, Newhall, Newport Beach, Norco, North Hills, North Hollywood, Northridge, Norwalk, Ontario, Orange, Oxnard, Pacific Palisades, Pacoima, Palos Verdes, Palmdale, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Panorama City, Paramount, Pasadena, Perris, Pico Rivera, Placentia, Pomona, Porter Ranch, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Mirage, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redondo Beach, Reseda, Rialto, Riverside, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Bernardino, San Clemente, San Dimas, San Gabriel, San Fernando, San Jacinto, San Juan Capistrano, San Pedro, Santa Ana, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Sawtelle, Seal Beach, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Simi Valley, South El Monte, South Gate, South Pasadena, South Whittier, Stanton, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar, Tarzana, Temecula, Temple City, Thousand Oaks, Toluca Lake, Torrance, Tujunga, Tustin, Twentynine Palms, Upland, Valencia, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Ventura, Victorville, Walnut, West Covina, West Hills, West Hollywood, West Puente Valley, Westchester, Westminster, Westwood, Whittier, Wildomar, Winnetka, Woodland Hills, Yorba Linda