Pregnancy and breastfeeding x workplace exposures

Legal framework

no closed substance list principle:

Unlike RD 298/2009 (Spain), U.S. federal law does NOT enumerate a closed list of substances/conditions from which pregnant workers must be removed. Instead, employers have an affirmative duty to provide REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION when an employee's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions can be reasonably accommodated absent undue hardship.

no federal paid leave:

There is NO federal paid family leave program for private-sector workers. Workers rely on: state PFL programs (CA, NJ, NY, RI, WA, MA, CT, OR, CO, DE, MD), employer short-term disability insurance, FMLA unpaid, or savings.

interaction with workers compensation:

Pregnancy is NOT itself a workers' comp condition. If a workplace exposure caused or contributed to a pregnancy complication or reproductive harm, a workers' comp claim may be filed but causation is difficult. Workers' comp coverage of teratogenic exposures varies dramatically by state.