Short answer: California gives pregnant workers some of the strongest legal protections in the country, far stronger than federal law, and most employers who violate them are counting on you not knowing that. If you were fired, demoted, pushed out, denied accommodations, or denied leave because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition, you likely have a case with real value.
Free consultation, 24/7, English and Spanish: (888) 772-2529. No fee unless you recover.
Your California rights, the stack most pages never explain
- FEHA (Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.). California’s discrimination law treats pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions as protected. It applies to employers with just 5 or more employees, and it prohibits firing, demoting, refusing to hire, harassing, or retaliating against you because of pregnancy.
- Pregnancy Disability Leave, PDL (Gov. Code § 12945). Up to 4 months of job protected leave while you are disabled by pregnancy or childbirth, at employers with 5+ employees, on top of everything below. Your health coverage continues during PDL.
- CFRA. California’s family leave law adds up to 12 more weeks of job protected bonding leave after the baby arrives, again at employers with just 5+ employees. PDL and CFRA stack: many California mothers are entitled to roughly 7 months of protected leave.
- Reasonable accommodation. Modified duties, more breaks, a stool, lighter lifting, schedule changes, transfer to a less strenuous position. Federal law now backs this too (the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act), but California required it first and covers smaller employers.
- Lactation rights (Labor Code § 1030 et seq.). Break time and a private space that is not a bathroom to pump at work.
These are statewide laws, and we represent workers on pregnancy discrimination cases across all of California, by phone, from San Diego to the Bay Area.
What pregnancy discrimination looks like
- Fired or laid off shortly after announcing a pregnancy; the timing itself is evidence
- Position eliminated while you were on leave, or your job given away before you returned
- Pushed out with reduced hours, a sudden bad review, or an impossible schedule after announcing
- Denied light duty or accommodations your doctor ordered while others got them for injuries
- Denied the PDL or CFRA leave you qualified for, or pressured to cut it short and come back early
- Asked in an interview about pregnancy or family plans, then not hired
- Pressured to quit rather than take the leave the law guarantees
Denied leave? That is a case even if you were never fired.
You do not have to lose your job to have a claim. Refusing to grant PDL or CFRA leave to a worker who qualifies is itself a violation of California law, and so is punishing you for taking it, pressuring you to return early, or stripping your duties when you come back. If you had to take unpaid time, burn vacation days, or work against your doctor’s restrictions because leave was denied, those losses are recoverable, along with emotional distress and attorney fees. And in our experience a denied leave request is often the first move before a termination, so calling early usually means a stronger case, not a smaller one.
What you can recover
Lost wages and benefits (past and future), emotional distress damages, attorney fees, and where the conduct was egregious, punitive damages. Cases with clear timing evidence (announcement, then termination) are among the strongest employment claims California juries see.
The deadlines
- 3 years to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) under FEHA (Gov. Code § 12960)
- 1 year to sue after the CRD issues a right to sue notice
- Federal EEOC deadlines are much shorter, generally 300 days in California
Exceptions can move these dates in either direction. And practically: texts, schedules, and witness memories fade fast, and severance offers arrive designed to be signed before you talk to a lawyer. Get advice before signing anything.
What to document right now
The date you announced your pregnancy and to whom. Every email, text, and schedule change after that date. Your doctor’s work restrictions and the employer’s response. Performance reviews before and after the announcement. And the names of coworkers who received accommodations you were denied. Timing plus paper is how these cases are won.
Frequently asked questions
I was fired while pregnant but they say it was performance. Do I have a case? Possibly. That is the standard cover story. Suspicious timing, shifting explanations, and a clean record before the announcement are exactly what these cases are built on. Let us evaluate it free.
My employer is small, only 6 people. Am I protected? Yes. FEHA, PDL, and CFRA all apply from 5 employees in California.
I have not been fired, but they are making my life impossible. Should I wait? No, call now. Documenting while employed builds the case, and quitting without advice can complicate it. There may also be protected steps we can take that stop the mistreatment.
My employer denied my maternity leave but I still work there. Do I have a case? Very possibly. Denying PDL or CFRA leave to a qualifying worker is unlawful on its own, no termination required. Call before you sign anything or return early against your doctor’s orders.
I am not in Los Angeles. Can you still take my case? Yes. These are statewide laws and we handle pregnancy discrimination cases across California, with consultations by phone.
Does my immigration status matter? No. California employment protections apply regardless of status, and your consultation is confidential. And if an employer threatens to report your immigration status because you asserted your rights, that threat is itself illegal in California and adds another claim against them.
What does it cost? Nothing up front. We work on what is called a contingency fee, which means we only get paid if we recover money for you, and our fee comes out of that recovery. If we recover nothing, you owe us nothing. And in some cases, California law also lets the court order the employer to pay your attorney fees on top of what you recover.
Call now: (888) 772-2529. Hablamos español, 24/7.
Reviewed by Shawn Abdi, Esq., Abdi & Associates, Inc. Last reviewed: August 12, 2026.
Attorney advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice about your specific situation. Legal deadlines have exceptions; confirm yours with an attorney. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.