Wal-Mart hit with lawsuit alleging pregnant employees were treated unfairly

Walmart is the subject of a federal lawsuit involving its alleged treatment of pregnant workers.



Two former Walmart employees filed a lawsuit that says the chain treated thousands of pregnant workers as “second-class citizens” by rejecting their requests to limit climbing on ladders and other potentially dangerous tasks, Reuters reported. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Illinois, claims that until 2014, the retailer had a company-wide policy that denied pregnant women the same accommodations as workers with other disabilities. It could include at least 20,000 women and possibly up to 50,000 who worked at the chain while pregnant before the policy change, Reuters reported.



In a statement from spokesman Randy Hargrove to Reuters, Walmart denied the allegations and said Wal-Mart's pregnancy policies "have always fully met or exceeded both state and federal law." The company said a separate anti-discrimination policy it maintains has long listed pregnancy as a protected status.



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