Hi I think that I am being let go/fired due to my pregnancy and need to know my rights...

I work for a very large company though a very large Contacting agency (temp). The agency has over 2000 employees globally.

My job requires travel and overtime, some heavy lifting and hanging things from a ladder. The later of the two which are NOT in my job description. My doctor and I felt that it was best if I worked under 50 hours of work and I had planned on finding new employment since it is not in my best interest to travel throughout the pregnancy. My onsite manager told me suggested that I find a new position before I "begin showing" because it would be more difficult to be hired. With the pressure being placed on me to find a new position I told my supervisor and on-site manager that I planned to have a new position by April 30th but had the same verbal understanding that if it was necessary to stay longer I could.

Then today I got this email...

"This is a follow up to your conversations regarding your medical accommodations and current job assignment. ……. wishes to do what we can to provide you with every opportunity to succeed. We also need to ensure that you’re safely and the needs of our client are both being met.

We need to fulfill our customers' needs, as they move forward with their business plans. To do this, …… will move forward with April 30th, 2008 as your last on the current assignment. ….. will look for suitable and comparable assignments for you. Your request of "perm" only work could prevent us from having a position for you sooner.

As you complete this assignment, we believe the accommodations set forth for you are reasonable. Please note that ….. ability to provide an acceptable to "doctor's order" schedule could prove to be a challenge in the future. Every effort will be made to ensure your success.

For the immediate future, we will be sure that all assignments will adhere to the current accommodations set forth by your doctor.


Can they really pull me off the assignment because I can no longer work the 60-70 hour weeks. I never signed a contract but my position is 40 hours per week….and continuous unless I am fired. It was my understanding that you can not be required to work overtime. I have no idea if I will find a new job in time and I NEED to work. The bills won’t stop coming in just because I lost my job or was reduced to a 10-20 hour a week position.


PLEASE HELP!!!!

If you can no longer perform the job as needed, no matter what it says in the job description or what the job was when you first started, then yes, they can place you on leave. No law requires them to allow you reduced hours, eliminate travel or the use of ladders while pregnant. If you are only willing or able to work certain types of jobs, then yes, it is going to be more difficult to place you. You should qualify for UC as long as you are accepting reasonable assignments if they are offered and looking for suitable employment.

If the employer had decided on their own to cut your hours or remove you from the position even though yoru doctor said it was still safe for you to continue the hours and duties required, that would be illegal. If you tell them you can no longer do these things, then you can't fault the employer for complying with your request.

So it is ok for my employer to require me to work 60+ hours a week?

Sorry I have one more question. What is UC?

UC = unemployment compensation.

With a few industry-specific exceptions (airline pilot, interstate truck driver, etc.), there are no laws limiting the number of hours an employer can require an employee to work.

Sorry, Maryland calls it UI, Unemployment Insurance.

Ye it is legal to require you to work 60+ hours.