Abortion rights, women of color, and LGBTQIA+ people are under attack. Pledge to join us in fighting for gender justice.
NWLC Responds to Court’s Decision to Strike Protections for Abortion-Related Accommodations in the Workplace
Washington, D.C. (May 22, 2025) – Yesterday, a federal district court in Louisiana struck down portions of a rule that acknowledges that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) protects workers’ right to reasonable accommodations related to abortion.
The PWFA is a landmark law that guarantees access to reasonable accommodations for workers with temporary limitations caused by pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a Final Rule that implements the PWFA and helps workers and employers understand their rights and obligations under the law.
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) filed an amicus brief in support of the EEOC’s Final Rule last June in this case, in which Louisiana, Mississippi, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic University of America, the Diocese of Lake Charles, and the Diocese of Lafayette, sued the EEOC seeking to block the EEOC’s Final Rule with respect to abortion-related accommodations.
“This decision is blatantly at odds with judicial precedent, medical reality, and common sense,” said Gaylynn Burroughs, Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice at NWLC. “Abortion care is obviously related to pregnancy. Anti-abortion sentiments and court rulings can’t change that fact. This harmful decision will force pregnant workers to choose between their jobs and getting the care they need—exactly what PWFA was designed to prevent.”
