Pregnancy Discrimination Attorney in Los Angeles & Beverly Hills, CA

Reviewed by Eliot J. Rushovich, Managing Partner, Rise Law Firm, PC. Last updated October 2026.

California law prohibits employers from firing, demoting or otherwise discriminating against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment because of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or a related medical condition. It also gives most pregnant employees protected leave and the right to return to their job. Pregnancy discrimination is rarely stated openly. It more often appears as a sudden performance problem after an employee announces a pregnancy, a position “eliminated” while she is on leave, or a termination shortly after she returns.

Rise Law Firm represents employees in pregnancy discrimination and leave cases throughout Los Angeles and California, from executives to hourly workers. Most of the employees we represent come to us after they have been fired or forced out. We represent employees only.

Your rights during and after pregnancy

These protections apply to most California employees:

• No discrimination. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) treats pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions as part of sex discrimination (Gov. Code § 12926). It applies to employers with five or more employees.
• Pregnancy disability leave. An employee who is disabled by pregnancy, childbirth or a related condition can take up to four months of leave per pregnancy, from the first day of employment, with no minimum length of service (Gov. Code § 12945). The employer must continue group health coverage during the leave and must generally return her to the same position afterward.
• Bonding leave. After the birth, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to bond with the child, for employees who have worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the prior year for an employer with five or more employees (Gov. Code § 12945.2). Together, pregnancy disability leave and bonding leave can add up to about seven months.
• Accommodation. An employer must reasonably accommodate pregnancy-related conditions, for example with modified duties, more frequent breaks, or a temporary transfer to a less strenuous position, when a health care provider advises it (Gov. Code § 12945).
• Lactation. Employers must provide reasonable break time and a private place to express milk, other than a bathroom, and may not retaliate against an employee for requesting it (Lab. Code §§ 1030–1034).

Federal law, including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, also applies to larger employers. California law usually provides broader protection and more remedies, so most cases are brought under it.

Common pregnancy discrimination situations

These are the situations we see most often:

• Fired soon after announcing a pregnancy. An employee with a good record tells her manager she is pregnant and, within weeks, receives her first written warning or is let go. The timing, and any change in how she was treated after the announcement, is often the strongest evidence.
• Position “eliminated” during leave. The employer says the role was cut while she was on pregnancy disability or bonding leave, but the duties are given to someone else or the job is reposted. An employer can end a position for genuine business reasons, but not because of the pregnancy or the leave.
• Fired or demoted on return. An employee comes back from leave to find her job, accounts or team reassigned, is offered a lesser role, or is let go after a short “transition.” California law generally requires reinstatement to the same position.
• Accommodation refused, then termination. A doctor recommends lighter duties or more breaks, the employer refuses or delays, and the employee is then disciplined or fired for problems the accommodation would have prevented.
• Retaliation for requesting leave or lactation breaks. It is unlawful to punish an employee for requesting or taking protected leave, or for asking for break time and a place to pump.
• Comments about commitment. Remarks such as “we need someone who will be here,” questions about plans for more children, or assumptions that a new mother will not travel or work late are evidence that pregnancy played a part.

Employers usually point to performance, a restructuring, or attendance. The evidence that matters most is often timing, the employee’s record before the pregnancy, what happened to the job afterward, and how other employees were treated.

Deadlines (statutes of limitations) and compensation

The main deadlines are below. They can be shorter or longer depending on the facts, so it is best not to wait.

Depending on the facts, compensation under FEHA can include lost wages and benefits, future lost earnings, and emotional distress damages. Punitive damages may be available where the employer acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, although public entities are not liable for punitive damages (Gov. Code § 818). FEHA allows a prevailing employee to recover attorney’s fees and costs. For employees who were fired, the lost earnings after termination are often the largest part of the case.

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer fire me while I am on pregnancy leave?

Only for a reason that has nothing to do with the pregnancy or the leave, such as a genuine layoff that would have included you anyway. The employer bears the burden of showing that. A termination during or shortly after leave, especially with shifting explanations, is often evidence that the pregnancy or the leave was the real reason.

I just started my job. Am I entitled to leave?

For pregnancy disability leave, yes. It is available from the first day of employment at employers with five or more employees, with no minimum length of service. CFRA bonding leave requires 12 months and 1,250 hours of work, but the pregnancy disability leave protections still apply.

My employer says my position was eliminated while I was out. What should I ask?

Who is now doing the work, whether the job was reposted, and whether anyone else was laid off at the same time. If the duties continued under a new title or a new person, the elimination may not be genuine.

I was let go a few weeks after telling my manager I was pregnant. Do I have a case?

You may have a case. Close timing between an announcement and a termination is strong evidence, particularly if your reviews were good before. Keep track of when you told your employer and what happened afterward, and save any emails or texts.

My employer will not give me breaks to pump. Is that legal?

No. California employers must provide reasonable break time and a private place, other than a bathroom, to express milk, and may not retaliate against you for asking.

If you live or work in Long Beach, see our Long Beach pregnancy discrimination page. For more on leave rights during and after pregnancy, see our pregnancy disability leave page. For an overview of the cases we handle, see our Los Angeles employment lawyer page.

Talk to a Los Angeles pregnancy discrimination lawyer

Rise Law Firm represents employees throughout California in pregnancy discrimination, leave, retaliation and wrongful termination cases, from chief executives to minimum-wage workers. We have secured millions of dollars for our clients, including recoveries against major companies, government entities, and celebrities, and we are particularly well known for handling high-profile cases. We work on a contingency basis, which means there are no fees or costs unless we recover compensation for you.

In one case, we represented a senior development professional at a national nonprofit who was fired about two months before her planned maternity leave. The organization said her position was eliminated when it closed its Los Angeles office. She alleged that, after she announced her pregnancy, a senior manager predicted in front of colleagues that she would not come back after the baby, her vacation request was questioned because of her upcoming maternity leave, and her health insurance was set to end weeks before her due date. The case resolved before trial. Every case is different, and results depend on the facts of each case.

If you were fired, demoted or pushed out during pregnancy, during leave, or after returning to work, contact us to request a free, confidential consultation, or call (310) 728-6588. You can learn more on our wrongful termination, family and medical leave, and retaliation pages, and in our article on being fired during or after medical leave.

This page provides general information about California and federal law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.