New York Employment Attorneys Blog

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's company, Halliburton, has been sued in Texas by a former employee who claims that she was terminated for violating the company's "policy against procreation". The employee claims that she notified supervisors that she was pregnant, and was promptly terminated.

While Halliburton claims that the termination was part of a wave of company-wide layoffs, the employee was the only one out of her group that was terminated. Further, a posting for her exact position and duties was posted briefly online after her termination.

The employee is represented by Todd Kelley, a Dallas based attorney known for representing other victims of Halliburton's discriminatory policies. Kelley represents a former Halliburton employee that worked overseas as a contractor. The employee claims that she was raped by multiple individuals, and then locked in a shipping container to prevent her from reporting the rape. Halliburton claimed that the employee could not sue, prompting Sen. Al Franken to sponsor a bill declaring that any company with a defense contract cannot bar employees suing for sexual assault and rape.

Check out this interesting article in the Wall Street Journal- Dealing With Infertility Treatments On The Job- .
The article deals with the much under discussed, but very relevant topic of reproductive treatment and workplace rights. The author of the article describes the difficulty faced in trying to explain to her boss the treatment she was undergoing, as well as the difficult in balancing her personal and professional life throughout the course of treatment.
Workers have many protections when it comes to seeking treatment for reproductive issues. In the Amendments to the Americans With Disabilities Act, problems with reproduction is covered under the new ADA, protecting men and women from being wrongfully challenged when seeking treatment.
Furthermore, women are also protected under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Under a ruling made last year, women can invoke the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to cover fertility treatments and other reproductive problem treatments. These two important amendments help build on the idea that infertility and reproductive problems are considered medical problems, and not personal matters. It is good to see the expansion of the rights of employees who are pregnant, as well as those seeking to get pregnant.