Legislative lowdown: San Francisco EEOC settles two pregnancy discrimination cases

Two companies accused of discriminating against pregnant workers recently agreed to resolve charges brought by the San Francisco District of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the department announced last week.

The cases focused on employers that allegedly either failed to accommodate or outright dismissed workers who disclosed they were pregnant. In both cases, the EEOC found the companies violated both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).

“No one should have to choose between their job and the health of their pregnancy or be penalized for proactively managing their employment and pregnancy,” Christopher Green, director of the EEOC’s San Francisco District, said in a statement regarding the settlements.

Employers accused of violating Title VII, PWFA. Vital Systems, a company based in Reno, Nevada, that specializes in electronic equipment, agreed to pay more than $57,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to an employee who alleged she was fired after disclosing her pregnancy.

Upon learning this employee was pregnant in 2024, the company “attempted to impose an unwanted and unnecessary accommodation on her” that would’ve required her to operate machinery with X-ray radiation, according to the EEOC. When the employee gave Vital Systems a doctor’s note stating she shouldn’t be exposed to radiation, the company fired her, an EEOC investigation found.

In addition to providing back pay and damages, Vital Systems agreed to update their reasonable accommodation policies and procedures, create a recordkeeping system to track accommodation requests, and train employees, managers, and HR staff on these matters, the EEOC said. It will update the agency periodically on its compliance with this agreement for the next four years.

Condor Club, a San Francisco nightclub and bar, agreed to pay $40,000 in damages to an employee who was “effectively” dismissed after the company failed to accommodate her pregnancy-related requests.

The employee alleged that in 2023 Condor Club stopped communicating with her after she disclosed her pregnancy, even though she gave them a doctor’s note stating she could work without any restrictions. The company failed to schedule her for shifts, as well as grant her accommodations such as reassignment, the EEOC found.

Condor Club agreed to similar terms with the EEOC, including developing a recordkeeping system and updating the agency every six months on compliance for the next three years.

Settlements highlight ongoing PWFA enforcement. The PWFA, which passed with bipartisan support in 2022, remains one of the rare Biden-era policies that the agency continues to prioritize under Trump.

The EEOC received 3,448 charges alleging PWFA violations in Fiscal Year 2025, the majority of which were resolved. Some 45% of PWFA charges deemed to be meritorious ended in settlements. During FY2025, some 16% of lawsuits filed by the EEOC included claims of pregnancy discrimination under Title VII or the PWFA.

That said, EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas has said she wants to narrow the focus of the PWFA, calling into question a final rule that allows workers to request accommodations related to abortion. The EEOC is eyeing this November for a proposed revision, per its regulatory agenda.