The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a hearing Wednesday to hear testimony regarding pregnancy discrimination issues. The panel heard testimony of the recent ruling in Texas regarding a mother who was fired for seeking to bring a breast pump into work after her maternity leave.

Witnesses told the EEOC that even though the Pregnancy Discrimination Act has been around for more than three decades, workplace pregnancy discrimination is prevalent in the United States. One of the witnesses claims that a number of federal laws have overlapping points and says that the overlaps and gaps elsewhere between laws tends to create a number of gray areas.

A pregnancy is considered a temporarily disabling condition under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The human resources executive of a company told the EEOC that the interaction between the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act creates confusion and the laws are sometimes contradictory.

Many witnesses reportedly implored the EEOC to provide clearer guidelines for how workplace discrimination laws operate.

South Florida employment discrimination and FMLA claims lawyers know that federal anti-discrimination laws are complex. But the relief the laws provide in protecting workers against discriminatory practices in the workplace are important.

If you have suffered discrimination at work, including adverse effects in a potential job opportunity in the hiring process, a promotional decision, job assignments, pay or have been fired for a discriminatory purpose, it is important to consider speaking with an experienced Florida employment law attorney.

Experienced attorneys can help to evaluate a potential discriminatory act and help to bring the proper claims and arguments before the court under the complex set of federal laws.

Source: Reuters, "Working pregnant women face rampant discrimination: agency," Ian Simpson, Feb. 15, 2012