2015 -- H 5674 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Maldonado, Keable, Tanzi, Shekarchi, and Palangio

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2015

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Legislative findings and intent. It is the intent of the General Assembly to

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combat pregnancy discrimination, promote public health, and ensure full and equal participation

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for women in the labor force by requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to

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employees with conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition. Current

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workplace laws are inadequate to protect pregnant women from being forced out or fired when

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they need a simple, reasonable accommodation in order to stay on the job. Many pregnant women

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are single mothers or the primary breadwinners for their families; if they lose their jobs then the

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whole family will suffer. This is not an outcome that families can afford in today's difficult

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economy.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 28-5 of the General Laws entitled "Fair Employment Practices" is

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hereby amended by adding the following section:

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     28-5-7.4 Accommodation of pregnancy-related conditions. -- (a) It shall be an

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unlawful employment practice for an employer, as defined in § 28-5-6 (8), to do the following:

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     (1) To refuse to reasonably accommodate an employee's or prospective employee's

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condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, including, but not

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limited to, the need to express breast milk for a nursing child, if she so requests, unless the

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employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would pose an undue hardship on the

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employer's program, enterprise, or business; 

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     (2)  To require an employee to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be

 

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provided to an employee's condition related to the pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical

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condition;

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     (3)  To deny employment opportunities to an employee or prospective employee, if such

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denial is based on the refusal of the employer to reasonably accommodate an employee's or

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prospective employee's condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition;

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     (4)  To fail to provide written notice, including notice conspicuously posted at an

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employer’s place of business in an area accessible to employees, of the right to be free from

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discrimination in relation to pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, including the right to

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reasonable accommodations for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions

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pursuant to this section to:

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     (i) New employees at the commencement of employment;

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     (ii) Existing employees within one hundred twenty days (120) after the effective date of

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this section;

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     (iii)  Any employee who notifies the employer of her pregnancy within ten (10) days of

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such notification;

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     (5)  For any person, whether or not an employer, employment agency, labor organization

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or employee, to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by this section to

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be an unlawful employment practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with

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the provisions of this section or any order issued pursuant to this section, or to attempt directly or

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indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful employment practice.

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     (b)  For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following

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meanings:

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     (1) "Reasonably accommodate" means providing reasonable accommodations, including,

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but not limited to, more frequent or longer breaks, time off to recover from childbirth, acquisition

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or modification of equipment, seating, temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous

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position, job restructuring, light duty, break time and private non-bathroom space for expressing

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breast milk, assistance with manual labor, or modified work schedules;

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     (2) "Related conditions" includes, but is not limited to, lactation or the need to express

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breast milk for a nursing child;

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     (3) "Undue hardship" means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense to the

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employer. In making a determination of undue hardship, the factors that may be considered

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include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

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     (i) The nature and cost of the accommodation;

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     (ii) The overall financial resources of the employer; the overall size of the business of the

 

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employer with respect to the number of employees, and the number, type, and location of its

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facilities; and

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     (iii) The effect on expenses and resources or the impact otherwise of such

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accommodation upon the operation of the employer.

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     (A) The employer shall have the burden of proving undue hardship.

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     (B) The fact that the employer provides or would be required to provide a similar

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accommodation to other classes of employees who need it, such as those who are injured on the

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job or those with disabilities, shall create a rebuttable presumption that the accommodation does

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not impose an undue hardship on the employer.

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     (4) "Qualified employee or prospective employee" means a "qualified individual" as

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defined in § 42-87-1(6)(i).

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     (c) No employer shall be required by this section to create additional employment that the

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employer would not otherwise have created, unless the employer does so or would do so for other

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classes of employees who need accommodation, such as those who are injured on the job or those

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with disabilities.

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     (d)  No employer shall be required to discharge any employee, transfer any employee

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with more seniority, or promote any employee who is not qualified to perform the job, unless the

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employer does so or would do so to accommodate other classes of employees who need it, such

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as those who are injured on the job or those with disabilities.

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     (e)  The provisions of this section shall not be construed to affect any other provision of

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law relating to sex discrimination or pregnancy, or to preempt, limit, diminish or otherwise affect

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any other law that provides greater protection or specific benefits with respect to pregnancy,

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childbirth or medical conditions related to childbirth.

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     (f)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an individual with a need related

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to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition to accept an accommodation which such

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individual chooses not to accept.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

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     This act would prohibit employers from discriminating against, and failing to provide

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reasonable accommodations for, employees due to pregnancy or medical conditions related to

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pregnancy or childbirth.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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