Your pregnancy is protected. So is your job.
Pregnant, recovering from childbirth, pumping at work, or grieving a loss: California law protects your job through all of it. We help working mothers stand up to employers who forget that.
Your rights, from the first trimester to the first year
California and federal law protect you at every stage. These are the rights employers get wrong most often.
No discrimination
Your employer can't fire you, demote you, cut your hours, or pass you over because you're pregnant or just had a baby.
Pregnancy rights at workReasonable accommodations
More breaks, a seat, lighter duties, or a temporary transfer when your health care provider advises it.
Accommodation questionsJob-protected leave
Up to four months of pregnancy disability leave, then up to 12 weeks of bonding leave if you qualify, with your job waiting.
How leave worksPumping breaks and a private space
Break time to pump whenever you need it, and a private place to do it that is never a bathroom.
Lactation breaksLeave after a loss
Up to five days off after a miscarriage, stillbirth, failed adoption, failed surrogacy, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction.
Reproductive loss leaveNo retaliation
Asking for an accommodation, taking leave, or complaining can't cost you your job. Punishment for it is illegal.
Retaliation questions
The numbers California employers should know
Most of these rights apply once your employer has five employees.
- 4
Months of pregnancy leave
Up to four months of job-protected leave while you're disabled by pregnancy or childbirth, with health coverage continued.
Gov. Code § 12945(a)(1), (a)(2)(A) - 12
Weeks of bonding leave
Up to 12 workweeks to bond with a new child if you've worked there more than a year and 1,250 hours.
Gov. Code § 12945.2(a) - 5
Days after a loss
Up to five days of leave after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other reproductive loss.
Gov. Code § 12945.6(b)(1) - $100
A day for denied pumping time
The Labor Commissioner can fine an employer for each day it denies break time or a proper space to pump.
Lab. Code § 1033(c)
Results for workers like you
Pregnancy discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination cases our firm has resolved for California employees.
- $2,300,000Pregnancy Discrimination
FMLA retaliation and wrongful termination.
- $215,000Whistleblower Retaliation / Wrongful Termination
- $185,000Wrongful Termination
Minimum wage violations.
- $175,000Wrongful Termination
Client fired after reporting a boss for bullying.
Results are from cases handled by Centurion Trial Attorneys, APC. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Meet Danielle Rini
Danielle Rini is a litigator who fights for California workers against employers who treat them unfairly, and she has personally recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
She graduated cum laude from California Western School of Law, where she was a member of the Public Interest Law Foundation.
Meet Attorney Ryan
You may know Ryan Stygar from social media, where millions of people follow him to learn how to stand up for themselves at work. He's a workers' rights employment attorney, a former firefighter, and the author of Get It in Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Your Rights at Work (Penguin).
His practice is built on one idea: the age of fearing our bosses is over.
What happens when you reach out
You tell your story once, to people who take it seriously. Then we take it from there, on your schedule, nap times included.
Tell us what happened
Fill out a short form or call us. We treat what you share as confidential.
We review your case
An attorney looks at what happened, the timing, and how your employer responded, then explains your options in plain English.
We fight for you
If we take your case, we handle the employer, the paperwork, and the negotiations, and take it to court if we need to. You pay no fee unless we win.
Questions working moms ask us
Can my employer fire me or treat me differently because I'm pregnant?
No. California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) makes it illegal for an employer with five or more employees to fire you, refuse to hire you, demote you, cut your pay, or change your job because of your sex. Under FEHA, sex includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions (Gov. Code §§ 12926(d), 12926(r)(1), 12940(a)). If you were written up, pushed out, or passed over after you announced a pregnancy, the timing matters. Write down what happened and when.
How much pregnancy leave do I get in California?
If pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition disables you, you can take up to four months of pregnancy disability leave (PDL) per pregnancy (about 17⅓ weeks for a full-time worker). PDL applies to employers with five or more employees, with no minimum time on the job (Gov. Code § 12945; Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, §§ 11035, 11037, 11042).
After PDL, the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) can add up to 12 weeks of bonding leave within a year of the birth. You need more than 12 months on the job and at least 1,250 hours worked in the 12 months before your leave (Gov. Code § 12945.2; Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 11090).
Does my employer have to accommodate my pregnancy?
Yes, if the request is reasonable and comes on your health care provider's advice. California requires employers with five or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, such as modified duties, more breaks, or a seat. You can also ask to transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position when your provider says it's medically advisable (Gov. Code § 12945; Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, §§ 11040, 11041). Federal law adds protection: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act covers employers with 15 or more employees and bars them from forcing you onto leave when another accommodation would work.
Do I get breaks to pump at work?
Yes. Every California employer must give you a reasonable amount of break time to express milk each time you need it (Lab. Code § 1030). When possible, that time runs during your regular paid rest breaks. Extra time beyond those breaks can be unpaid. Federal law also requires break time and a private space other than a bathroom for one year after your child's birth (29 U.S.C. § 218d). For the details, read our lactation guide.
How much does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. We handle pregnancy discrimination and retaliation cases on contingency: no fee unless we win. If there is no recovery, you pay no fees or costs. We'll explain the fee in a written agreement before any work begins.
Guides for pregnant workers and new parents
Plain-English guides to your rights under California and federal law.
- Guide
Do I Get Lactation Breaks at Work in California?
California law requires break time and a private, non-bathroom space to pump at work. Here is what your employer owes you and what to do if it says no.
- Guide
What Are My Pregnancy Rights at Work in California?
California pregnancy rights at work: protection from discrimination, accommodations, up to four months of disability leave, and bonding leave.
- Guide
Do I Get Time Off After a Miscarriage in California?
California law gives eligible workers up to five days of leave after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or other reproductive loss. Here is how it works.
You shouldn't have to choose between your family and your job.
Tell us what happened. We'll help you understand your options.