ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced May 3 that Brown & Brown, an insurance brokerage firm in Daytona Beach, Florida, will pay $100,000 after allegations of pregnancy discrimination.
"The Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires that pregnant employees be treated the same as non-pregnant employees who are similar in their ability or inability to work," said Michael Farrell, the EEOC's Miami District director. "This includes treating pregnant employees the same as others at the hiring stage."
The EEOC says Brown & Brown made a written job offer to an applicant for a position as a “personal lines technical assistant.” The applicant affirmed her interest in the job and asked a few questions regarding the offer. She purportedly spoke to the department leader’s assistant and asked about maternity benefits because she was pregnant. According to the EEOC, the assistant told the department leader, who then immediately revoked the job offer.
"The decision to hire should be based upon an applicant's qualifications, not stereotypical assumptions about pregnancy, motherhood or other caretaking responsibilities,” said EEOC Miami District regional attorney Robert Weisberg.
The EEOC’s Miami District Office oversees jurisdiction of Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.