New South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act Requires Action by Employers

South Carolina has a new law protecting pregnant women and new mothers in the workplace. Effective May 17, 2018, the South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act amended the South Carolina Human Affairs Law (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 1-13-10, et seq.), to provide additional protections for pregnant workers and additional requirements for employers. Although many of the requirements in the Pregnancy Accommodations Act already exist in federal anti-discrimination laws, specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Accommodations Act provides specific examples of reasonable accommodations for pregnant women and requires that covered employers provide certain written notice to employees.