Employer Obligations Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Regulatory Update, Legal Challenges, New Administration
A live 90-minute CLE video webinar with interactive Q&A
This CLE webinar will guide employment practitioners through the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) expansive final regulations that went into effect last year as they stand currently and the potential impact of a new administration as the regulations face new scrutiny. The panel will address how the PWFA framework differs from that of the ADA, provide examples of what may be considered reasonable accommodation under the PWFA, and offer best practices for compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape.
Outline
- Introduction
- EEOC's current PWFA regulations
- Covered employers
- Eligible employees and applicants
- Covered medical conditions
- Reasonable accommodation
- Medical documentation and inquiries
- Employer defenses
- ADA interaction
- Agency enforcement
- Possible impact of new administration and legal challenges
- Best practices for compliance
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key considerations:
- Who are covered employers under the PWFA? Eligible employees and applicants?
- What medical conditions are covered under the PWFA?
- What obligations are required of employers under the PWFA? How do these differ from employer obligations under the ADA?
- What are examples of reasonable accommodation under the PWFA? When is leave considered a reasonable accommodation under the PWFA?
- What legal challenges have been raised against the current regulations? What impact may the new administration have on the regulations?
Faculty

Abigail Barr
Partner
Ice Miller
Ms. Barr focuses her practice on helping employers avoid and resolve labor and employment law issues. She has extensive... | Read More
Ms. Barr focuses her practice on helping employers avoid and resolve labor and employment law issues. She has extensive experience in litigation, collective bargaining, mediation, and arbitration, practicing before the EEOC, Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and both state and federal courts. Ms. Barr has represented a wide variety of employers—both public and private—in employment litigation and has successfully litigated cases involving employment discrimination, retaliation, and trade secrets as well as several wage and hour class and collective actions. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Barr counsels employers on union relations, Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act as well as various state and federal wage and hour laws. She also routinely advises clients on employee handbooks and policies, restrictive covenants, such as noncompetition and non-solicitation agreements, and provides counsel on employment agreements and exit plans.
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Tiffany M. Releford
Partner
Ice Miller
Ms. Releford is a seasoned attorney who understands the legal ins-and-outs of the workplace. As a partner in Ice... | Read More
Ms. Releford is a seasoned attorney who understands the legal ins-and-outs of the workplace. As a partner in Ice Miller’s Workplace Solutions Group, her background in human resources gives her the knowledge to navigate complex issues that lie at the intersection of separation and hiring, disability, and discrimination issues. Ms. Releford also provides trainings on equal employment opportunity laws and conducts workplace investigations. She has appeared before state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, the D.C. Office of Human Rights, and the Prince George’s County Human Relations Commission. Ms. Releford routinely counsels large and small businesses, nonprofit associations, employers, community associations and individuals in matters involving discrimination based on disability, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, and age.
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