Fetal protection policies in the United States
Fetal protection policies in the United States are various private sector rules intended to protect women's reproductive health and the health of developing fetuses in the workplace. These policies have evolved in response to the nature of many modern businesses, which use toxic chemicals or ionizing radiation during ordinary business and production activities. These policies have also evolved based on the liability a given business entity might incur, for example, for causing sterility or damage to an otherwise healthy fetus during pregnancy.
These policies were highlighted in the national media in the early 1990s when the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed a lower federal appellate court's decision in UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc.. Also, scholarly journals have discussed these policies before and after the Johnson Controls case.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The U.S. Supreme Court held that these policies violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 by promoting gender discrimination.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Greenhouse, Linda (October 11, 1990). "Justices Listen to Arguments On Fetal Protection Policy". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Scannell, Theresa M (1991). "Fetal Protection Policies No Longer a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification Defense" (Free PDF available). Marquette Law Review. 75. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University: 1196. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ "Excerpts From Court Ruling on 'Fetal Protection' Policy in Job Screening". New York Times. New York City. March 21, 1991. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Becker, Mary E. (1986). "From Muller v. Oregon to Fetal Vulnerability Policies" (Free PDF download). The University of Chicago Law Review. 53 (4). Chicago: University of Chicago: 1219–1273. doi:10.2307/1599748. JSTOR 1599748. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Hamlet, Pendleton Elizabeth (1990). "Fetal Protection Policies: A Statutory Proposal in the Wake of International Union UAW v. Johnson Controls Inc" (Free PDF available). Cornell Law Review. 75 (5). Cornell University: 1109. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ O'Brien, Christine Neylon; et al. (1990). "Employer Fetal Protection Policies at Work: Balancing Reproductive Hazards with Title VII Rights" (Free PDF download). Marquette Law Review. 74. Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University: 147. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Mezey, Susan Gluck (2008). "UAW v. Johnson Controls, 499 U.S. 187 (1991)" (Gale: U.S. History in Context). Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States. Vol. 5. Macmillan Reference USA.
Further reading
[edit]- Grover, Susan. "The Employer's Fetal Injury Quandary After Johnson Controls" (Free PDF download). Kentucky Law Journal. Faculty Publications. Paper 179. 81. College of William & Mary Law School: 639.
- Mark, Valerie (September 14, 2010). "Flip Side of Fetal Protection Policies". Golden Gate University Law Review. 22 (3). San Francisco: Golden Gate University School of Law: 673–713.