TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – Diamond Staffing agreed to pay $7,900 to resolve allegations of pregnancy discrimination, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy and the Division of Civil Rights announced.
According to complaints, Alyssa Walsh of North Bergen was hired by the company and then discharged three days later after the company found out she was pregnant. Walsh told the Division that she was forthcoming about her pregnancy, while the company maintained that she only mentioned it after being hired and then refused to perform related lifting duties, citing her pregnancy. Witnesses sided with Walsh in the case.
“The law is clear,” Division on Civil Rights Director Craig T. Sashihara said. “An employer cannot make job assignments based solely on stereotypes or paternalistic assumptions about a pregnant woman’s ability to work.”
The $7,900 will compensate Walsh for lost pay. She is to receive this money after assets are liquidated from Diamond Staffing, which is going through bankruptcy.
“This agreement represents fair resolution of a case that speaks to a vital issue for members of New Jersey’s work force, for their families, and for employers – maternity in the workplace,” Lougy said. “We urge employers throughout the State to be certain they know and understand the law as it applies to maternity and employment, and that they train their managers and human resources personnel to understand it as well.”