It's a common story: A woman is a superstar at work, but as soon as she announces that she's pregnant, she's falls out of favor with her supervisors. Or a woman goes on maternity leave, only to get laid off while she was away from her job. Or a woman applies for a job, but the prospective employer seems to lose interest when they learn she is pregnant.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against you because of your pregnancy. Unfortunately, many companies fail to heed the law.

The PDA says that discrimination due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is unlawful sex discrimination. It requires employers to treat pregnant women in the same way as other job applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.

The PDA covers hiring, pregnancy and maternity leave, health insurance and fringe benefits. Under the PDA:

• An employer cannot refuse to hire you because of your pregnancy as long as you can do the major functions of the job
• If you are temporarily unable to do your job because of your pregnancy, your employer must treat you the same as any other temporarily disabled employee. For example, the employer should provide modified tasks, alternative assignments, disability leave or leave without pay.
• Your employer must permit you to work as long as you are able to do your job
• Your employer must hold open a job for a pregnancy-related absence for the same length of time jobs are held open for employees on sick or disability leave
• If your employer provides health insurance to its employees, the insurance has to cover expenses for pregnancy-related conditions on the same basis as it does for other medical conditions
• Pregnancy-related benefits must be available to all employees, regardless of marital status
• You should be treated the same as other temporarily disabled employees for purposes of crediting of seniority, vacation calculation, pay increases or temporary disability benefits

If you think you are or will be discriminated against because of your pregnancy:

• Write down all relevant details, including the date, time and place and what was said during discriminatory conversations. Include the names of participants and witnesses, and keep a copy of these notes at home.
• Continue to do your job, and start documenting how well you're performing
• Copy your performance reviews and other evidence that shows how well you've done your job, and store those copies at home
• If you belong to a union, contact your union representative to find out whether you can file a grievance or if there's another complaint process
• Talk to your human resources department to file a complaint or learn about the company process for filing a complaint
• Call a local women's rights or civil rights group for help

If you're unable to resolve the problem through dispute resolution processes at your company or with your union, you may have to file a complaint with a government agency. You can file charges against the employer with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and with state or local agencies that enforce anti-discrimination laws. There are very short time limits on how long you can wait to file a charge against your employer, so it's important to act quickly when making an EEOC complaint.

To prove pregnancy discrimination, you must first show that your employer knew you were pregnant. You must also show that, because of the pregnancy, your employer took some adverse employment action against you or denied you benefits that other employees received. You may also win your case if you can show your employer systematically discriminated against pregnant employees and/or job applicants. You're not required to prove that your employer acted intentionally or with any ill will.

Related Links:

• Learn more about pregnancy and your job on Lawyers.com
• Discuss your issues on the Lawyers.com employment law for employees forum
• Find a labor & employment attorney on Lawyers.com
• Lawyers.com Suggested Legal Books

I spent part of my childhood living in the Middle East, where my Dad was on assignment for a large oil company. It was a fascinating experience, and I got a crash course in Islam.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins tomorrow. Devout Muslims observe the month by fasting daily from sunrise to sunset. If you've ever fasted for a day, you know it's not easy. Now imagine doing that for more than half a day, every day for an entire month.

When my family lived in the Middle East, people's daily routines were different during the month of Ramadan. Stores were often closed during daylight hours and reopened late in the evening. Even people who held office jobs worked different hours so they could be at the office soon after sunrise--not long after they'd last eaten--and home in time to break their fast.

If you're Christian in the United States, you may not have given much thought to how people of other religions observe holidays. After all, many Christians in the United States take it for granted that they won't have to work on religious holidays. With the exception of some retail stores, most companies close entirely for Christian holidays, including Good Friday, Easter and Christmas. But what if you're Jewish and observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when work is forbidden? What if you're Muslim and want to pray five times daily, even though some of those prayer times fall during business hours? What if you are you are a Sikh man who wears a turban but works at a business that wants you to wear a baseball hat with the company logo on it?

It is against the law for your employer to treat you differently or to harass you because of your religious, moral and ethical beliefs. Your employer must respect your sincere and meaningful religious beliefs, and must make a reasonable effort to accommodate your religious practices unless they cause an undue hardship on the company.

Reasonable accommodation means that the employer should be able to make small adjustments in your work schedule, working conditions or work requirements that will allow you to continue working and still practice your religion. Examples of reasonable accommodation include:

• Allowing flexible work schedules and shifts
• Providing floating or optional holidays
• Permitting voluntary shift changes or work assignment substitutions
• Modifying workplace rules and regulations such as allowing employees to wear religious headdresses

If you need accommodation for a religious reason, you should give your employer sufficient advance notice so that some reasonable adjustment to your employment can be made. However, the employer does not have to accommodate your religious beliefs, if it can show an undue hardship.

Examples of undue hardship include:

• Your employer would have to force other employees, over their refusal, to switch to another work schedule to accommodate your religious practices
• Your employer would have to violate the terms of a collective bargaining agreement in order to accommodate your religious practices
• Your employer would have to pay replacement workers at a higher or premium rate to accommodate your religious practices

If your employer discriminates against you on the basis of your religion, you may be entitled to relief in the form of back pay, hiring, promotion, reinstatement, front pay, reasonable accommodation, or other forms of relief. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also allows you to recover your attorney's fees.

If you believe that you've been discriminated against on the basis of religion in your employment, an employment discrimination attorney can help you review your options.

Related Links:

• Learn more about employment discrimination on Lawyers.com
• Find a discrimination lawyer in your area
• Discuss discrimination issues on the Lawyers.com forums
• Lawyers.com Suggested Legal Books

Stereotypes. We encounter them every day. Boys are better at sports. Asians are better at math. Women are more emotional. Gay men are more creative. Southerners are more hospitable. Young people have more energy.

But the simple truth is, you shouldn't make assumptions--positive or negative--about people based on the color of their skin, or their age, or their sexual orientation, or their religion, or their gender, or their physical capabilities.

Discrimination can occur in a number of ways, including:

• Job advertisements and recruiting
• Testing
• Hiring and firing
• Training and advancement
• Benefits
• Pay and leave
• General employment conditions

A host of federal, state and local laws exist that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. However, these laws don't necessarily protect all groups from discrimination. (It's ironic, but you could say that some of the anti-discrimination laws actually discriminate against certain groups because the groups are omitted from the laws.)

If you're job hunting and worried about potential discrimination, or if you're in a position to hire or promote employees, or even if you just want to be a good advocate on behalf of others, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the relevant anti-discrimination laws.

A number of federal laws protect employees and job applicants against discrimination. These include:

• The Americans With Disabilities Act, which protects the disabled from employment discrimination
• The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prevents gender-based discrimination and requires equal pay for males and females performing the same job
• The Fair Labor Standards Act, which prohibits sex discrimination when paying wages
• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits disability-based employment discrimination in the federal government
• The Civil Rights Act of 1991, which provides for money damages where intentional employment discrimination has been shown
• Executive Orders 13087 and 11478, which prohibit job discrimination within the federal government based on sexual orientation

In some instances, state and local laws may be stronger than the federal anti-discrimination laws, or may protect additional classes of people from discrimination.

For example, there is no federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation at private companies (though such a ban does exist for employees of the federal government). But California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., all have laws prohibiting discrimination because of sexual orientation in the workplace. Eight additional states (Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington) also have laws against sexual-orientation discrimination in public employment. And some counties and cities also have local laws that prevent private employers from discriminating against gay and lesbian workers.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, is the government agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws.

Even if there are no laws protecting you from discrimination and your employer doesn't have a specific policy on the issue, you may still have a legal claim based on other types of laws, such as:

• Wrongful termination
• Defamation or slander
• Invasion of privacy
• Anti-harassment

If you've been discriminated against, you may be able to recover back pay, reinstatement, future pay or future pay changes, a reasonable accommodation or other relief. In addition, if you were not hired, the employer may be required to hire you.

Related Links:

• Read more about fighting discrimination on Lawyers.com
• Get your questions answered on our Employment Discrimination FAQ
• Discuss your legal issues on our discrimination forums
• Lawyers.com Suggested Legal Books

I have a confession to make: I'm a news junkie. I work from home, and for at least a couple hours a day, I have the TV turned on and tuned to CNN. Often, it's just on mute, but when the breaking news banner appears, it catches my attention.

In recent days, there seem to have been a slew of stories about people who were hurt or killed on the job. Earlier this month, a driver struck and killed a highway worker in Wisconsin. Last week, two workers died and dozens were injured in an explosion at a food plant. The next day, a security guard was shot and killed at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Whether you're working in a factory or office building, dealing with the public or just other co-workers, every job has its risks. But regardless of what type of job you hold, you're still legally entitled to work in a safe environment.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires employers to:

• Provide a workplace free of "recognized safety hazards" that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm
• Tell you if you are working with hazardous materials
• Give you any special training necessary to do your job safely
• Keep records of all workplace injuries, deaths and any exposures to toxic or hazardous materials

As an employee, you are legally permitted, under OSHA, to question unsafe conditions at your workplace and to request inspections. You can also file a lawsuit asking the court to require your employer to fix unsafe conditions. By law, your employer can't retaliate against you for making these requests.

In general, there are hundreds of OSHA safety standards covering:

• Storage of hazardous materials
• Fire protection, including sprinklers, emergency exits and emergency plans
• Protective equipment such as safety glasses and clothing
• First aid and medical treatment where injuries are likely to occur
• Equipment performance and maintenance

OSHA regulations also allow you to walk off the job if there is an "immediate and substantial danger." Make your own health and safety your top priority. If you're injured, make sure that the workers' comp claims processor knows your injury occurred because of a possible violation of state or OSHA safety laws. This may make you eligible for more .

If you feel unsafe in your workplace or if you are injured at work, talk to your supervisor about fixing potential hazards. If your supervisor doesn't respond promptly, put your concerns in writing and give them to your supervisor and other appropriate managers.

If the safety hazard remains, file a complaint with your local OSHA office. You can also file a complaint with any appropriate local or state government agency that may have jurisdiction over your particular safety concern. If OSHA sends out an inspector, you should cooperate with the inspector. OSHA can order your employer to repair unsafe equipment, clean cluttered areas, put new storage or other procedures in place, or remove all workers from the area where the danger exists.

If necessary, OSHA can ask a court to order your employer to follow OSHA standards for workplace safety.

OSHA laws protect you from being fired or disciplined if you've:

• Filed a complaint with OSHA about unsafe working conditions
• Talked with an OSHA inspector during an inspection
• Otherwise cooperated with an OSHA investigation
• Refused to work in conditions that were likely to cause your injury or death

Generally, you can't be fired or disciplined for refusing to do work if:

• A "reasonable person" in your position would conclude there's a real danger of injury or death
• You've complained to your employer and nothing has been done
• There's no time to go through the usual OSHA procedures

If you feel your employer has retaliated against you because you have reported safety violations, report your concerns to the Department of Labor and OSHA within 30 days of the retaliatory action to be protected under OSHA laws. If investigators determine that your firing or discipline was retaliatory, OSHA will require your employer to restore your lost benefits.

Related Links:

• Learn more about retaliation claims on Lawyers.com
• Visit the Occupational Health & Safety Administration website
• Discuss your issue on our Employment Law for Employees forum
• Lawyers.com Suggested Legal Books

Ask anyone who's ever been unemployed and they'll tell you that it seems as if our nation's unemployment laws were written by people who have never ever actually been unemployed. Sure, many of the benefits sound good until you start adding up the associated costs of those benefits.

Take COBRA, for example, which gives many unemployed people the right to stay on their employer's health-care plan for up to 18 months after leaving their job. We all read about how hard it is to get private health insurance, so that sounds like a great benefit, until you realize it could easily cost you and your family $1,000 a month in premium payments. When money isn't regularly flowing into your bank account, it's hard to imagine writing a large check each month for health-insurance coverage.

Another example: Your unemployment benefit--that check the state gives you each week--is taxable income. So the government writes you a check, then wants some of that money back. Ironic, isn't it?

The recently passed stimulus package, more formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, actually tries to make things financially easier for unemployed people. Among the changes:

• The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are free from federal taxes. Depending on how your state calculates income tax, this money may also be free from state taxes, too.
• If you opt for COBRA health insurance coverage, the government will pay 65% of your health insurance premiums for the first 9 months you're on COBRA. This applies to workers who lost their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009.
• If you could be covered under COBRA but declined coverage, you have a second chance to sign up. The deadline to do this is April 18, 2009, so contact your former employer, or their benefits administrator, immediately.
• People who apply for unemployment compensation on or before Jan. 1, 2010, will receive an additional $25 a week in benefits until their benefits are exhausted or until June 30, 2010, whichever comes first.
• If you are on Supplemental Security Income, you'll receive a one-time payment of $250.
• People who file for unemployment on or before Dec. 31, 2009, will get more weeks of coverage. Workers in states with an unemployment rate of more than 6% get an 33 additional weeks of unemployment benefits, and workers in other states get 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits.

If you are unemployed, these changes may not completely ease your financial burden. But they will put more money into your pocket for a longer period of time, and they'll make it easier to obtain affordable health care. Pay attention to blogs like this, and the news and information from your state's unemployment office, because many of these temporary benefits may be extended or made permanent.

Related Links:

• Locate your state unemployment office
• Learn more about unemployment compensation on Lawyers.com
• Get the facts about COBRA coverage

When I turned 16, my parents encouraged me to get a summer job. I worked at a clothing store one summer and as an office temp for another couple summers.

One summer I saw an ad that promised great things--flexible work hours and high pay--for selling books door to door. It was a job that overpromised and under-delivered. On the second day, I shadowed a more experienced salesperson. We walked up to one house, knocked on the door and the homeowner answered brandishing a gun. We quickly left the property, and I never returned to that job. I valued my life, and didn't want to lose it while working a lousy summer job. (I went back to temping after that!)

As the school year winds down, your kids may be starting looking for summer jobs. In this lousy economy, there's likely to be more competition for job openings, and fewer opportunities. As a parent, you probably want your kids to become more responsible and learn the value of a dollar. But where do you draw the line if traditional summer employment opportunities aren't available? You want to encourage your kids to find summer employment, but you also want them to be safe.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state laws are designed to ensure the safety of people aged 18 and younger in the workplace.

The FLSA sets the minimum age at which children can work in certain jobs. For example:

Children under the age of 14 can:

• Work in certain agricultural jobs
• Work in the entertainment or theatrical fields
• Work at a business owned by their parents
• Make newspaper deliveries, or
• Babysit or perform other chores in a private home.

Children age 14 and 15:

• Can work in offices, retail businesses, restaurants, gas stations and entertainment-related business such as movie theaters, amusement parks and sports stadiums
• Cannot work in jobs classified as "hazardous" by the Department of Labor
• Can only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (but not during school hours) during the school year, and as late as 9 p.m. during the summer
• Cannot work more than 3 hours a day during the school year
• Cannot work more than 8 hours a day during the summer

Hazardous jobs include:

• Jobs at companies that manufacture or store explosives
• Driving motor vehicles
• Coal mining
• Logging, milling and using power woodworking machines
• Jobs that require exposure to radioactive substances
• Mining
• Meat processing, slaughtering, packing, processing or rendering
• Operating bakery machines
• Brick and tile manufacturing
• Wrecking and demolition work
• Roofing work
• Excavation work

Children who are at least 16 years old can work in any job classified as "non-hazardous." In addition, there are no limits on the number of hours a day or number of days a week that children 16 and older can work.

Some states have laws that are more stringent than the FLSA and place more limitations on the types of work that children can perform and the hours they can work. In these states, the more stringent laws apply.

Employers that hire teenagers should be familiar with these laws, but some may not be aware of them. Before your child accepts a job, talk them about the hours and what the work entails. If it sounds like a potentially dangerous job, check the FLSA rules as well as your state's labor laws to see if it's a job your child can legally perform. But also trust your gut. Some jobs just aren't worth it.

Related Links:

• Learn more about minimum wage laws on Lawyers.com
• Review FAQs about Wages and Hours
• Visit our Employment Law message boards

I'm the first to admit that I don't follow college basketball. Sure, I'm likely to hear about it if my college team had a big upset or is playing particularly badly. But I couldn't tell you which team is at the top of the rankings. And I certainly couldn't talk about the best
players in the game. But that didn't stop me from organizing a March Madness office pool for a few years.

Every year this time, the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament becomes a central topic of discussion. Because of its format, it's a fun event to bet on. When the stakes are low, even the most casual fan enjoys testing his or her luck and hopes for a big payoff. After all, what's a $5 or $10 investment if it lets you spend two weeks trash-talking your friends and co-workers (all in good fun!), while regularly checking the accuracy of your picks and becoming an overnight supporter of a bunch of teams you'd never before cared about?

So popular is the game, and betting pools, that the White House recently released President Obama's picks for the tournament. (For the record, he's rooting for North Carolina to win.)

The catch, of course, is that office pools are technically illegal.

Most states and many cities have laws that make it illegal to bet on sports. And even if you live in a place like Atlantic City or Las Vegas, where it is legal, the laws require you to have a gaming license.

Of course, most law enforcement agencies are unlikely to go after the office betting pool--even if someone calls to complain--because they have limited resources and more important crimes to deal with.

If you decide to organize or participate in your office betting pool, perhaps you should spend less time worrying about law enforcement and more time worrying about what your boss may think.

A recent survey by Careerbuilder found that 18% of employees participate in office pools. When you add up the time spent filling out the bracket, checking your standings, talking about it with co-workers and stealthily watching during office hours, that adds up to a lot of lost productivity. Some companies have traditionally turned a blind eye to March Madness pools, and others have even officially sanctioned it. But in this age of layoffs, budget cuts and declining revenue, many companies may not be happy to realize their
employees are spending so much time thinking about basketball when they should be thinking about business.

Related Links:

• Learn about deducting gambling losses on your tax return.