Compensation for Pregnancy Discrimination Victims

The Financial and Emotional Costs of Pregnancy Discrimination

Pregnancy should feel supported at work. For many in New York, it doesn’t. Hours shrink, promotions stall, projects vanish. Bills keep coming. Rent, groceries, prenatal care—real life doesn’t pause because an employer made a biased choice.

Our pregnancy discrimination attorneys at Horn Wright, LLP, work with people who watched paychecks dip, benefits lapse, or careers hit a wall after pregnancy disclosure. You’re juggling health, family, and a job that suddenly got harder. We get proactive fast—pursuing compensation so you can steady your finances and plan the next step.

We also handle matters in New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. The rules vary across state lines. New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination (LAD) often allows broader damages, Vermont recognizes substantial awards for emotional harm, and New Hampshire’s coverage is narrower than New York’s. 

Knowing the differences helps us press for the strongest recovery available to you. Call (855) 465-4622 and we’ll walk you through what comes next.

Legal Foundations for Compensation in New York

New York gives you several ways to demand payment when pregnancy bias costs you money or opportunities. These protections apply in hiring, scheduling, promotions, discipline, and leave decisions.

Federally, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) under Title VII requires employers to treat pregnancy like any other temporary medical condition. If bias blocked your path, you can pursue wages, benefits, and related damages.

State law goes further. The New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) requires reasonable accommodations and covers most workplaces. If an employer refuses to adjust, you can seek compensation for the harm that followed. 

Inside the five boroughs, the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) sets one of the broadest standards in the country and allows punitive damages when conduct shows reckless disregard. 

Together, these laws put real financial pressure on employers who break the rules.

Categories of Compensation Available to Victims

New York victims of pregnancy discrimination can seek several kinds of compensation. Each one addresses a different part of the harm you experienced.

Back pay

This reimburses wages and benefits you lost after a firing, demotion, or hours cut. It can include salary, overtime, bonuses, and the value of missed health coverage. Courts typically measure back pay from the first adverse action through settlement or judgment. It’s a direct path to make up lost income.

Front pay

Returning to the same workplace isn’t always realistic. Front pay covers future wage loss while you rebuild. Judges consider your career path, age, industry, and how long it may take to land a comparable role. It gives you breathing room to move forward.

Lost benefits

Compensation includes more than your paycheck. If insurance, retirement contributions, or paid time off dropped because of bias, you can seek repayment. Courts treat benefits as part of your total compensation, and long-term medical costs get careful attention.

Emotional distress damages

Pregnancy discrimination takes a personal toll—stress, humiliation, anxiety. New York courts award damages for that impact. The amount depends on the intensity and duration of the harm, supported by your account and, when available, corroborating voices.

Punitive damages

For especially serious conduct, the NYCHRL allows punitive awards. These penalties are designed to deter reckless or malicious behavior and remind employers that violating pregnancy protections is costly.

How Damages Are Determined in Court

Courts look at details, not guesses. They review your records, the timeline, and the employer’s actions to decide what’s fair.

Back pay is the usual starting point. Payroll and HR records show the gap between what you earned and what you should have earned. If insurance lapsed, judges may include out‑of‑pocket medical bills. Missed retirement contributions and lost vacation accrual also factor into the total.

For emotional distress, testimony matters. Your account, medical notes, or statements from people who saw how the situation affected you help shape the award. These damages acknowledge the human impact alongside the financial one.

Punitive damages turn on intent. If evidence shows a company brushed off the law or singled you out with hostility, the number goes up. In New York City, the NYCHRL gives courts strong tools to respond when conduct crosses the line.

Excuses Employers Use to Defend Themselves

Employers rarely admit bias. Instead, they rely on explanations that sound businesslike until you look closely.

• “We had to restructure.” Layoffs and reassignments happen. But when timing tracks your pregnancy disclosure and peers keep their roles, the pattern tells a different story. Courts compare who was affected and why.
• “Policy required it.” Attendance and performance rules can’t be enforced one way for pregnancy and another way for everyone else. The PDA and NYSHRL require reasonable flexibility for pregnancy-related needs. A handbook doesn’t override the law.
• “Another applicant was stronger.” In hiring cases, judges look beyond buzzwords. They compare résumés, experience, and interview records. If your qualifications match or exceed the person hired, this explanation loses force especially when pregnancy entered the conversation.
• “The role was too demanding.” Only you and your provider can speak to medical limits. Blanket assumptions about what a pregnant worker can or can’t do are discriminatory. Employers must consider individual accommodations instead of stereotypes.

These lines show how companies try to camouflage unlawful choices. Documentation and timing usually peel back the cover.

Building Evidence That Supports Compensation

A strong record turns your experience into a case that agencies and courts can quantify. Start simple and stay consistent.

• Collect payroll and benefit statements. These documents show lost income, missed retirement contributions, and any gaps in insurance. Judges rely on numbers when they calculate damages.
• Save communications with managers and HR. Emails, texts, and chat logs tie decisions to pregnancy and reveal how policies were applied. Casual language still counts if it connects the dots.
• Ask witnesses for statements. Co‑workers who saw your schedule change, heard remarks, or noticed project shifts can add credibility. Their accounts, paired with your documents, create a clear timeline of what happened and why it matters.

Filing for Compensation in New York

New York gives you more than one path to recover damages. Deadlines matter, so mark the calendar and move quickly.

• File with the NYSDHR. You generally have one year to file with the New York State Division of Human Rights. The agency can investigate, order back pay, and require reinstatement or policy changes. Its orders are enforceable.
• File with the EEOC. For federal claims, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accepts filings within 300 days. The EEOC can mediate, investigate, or issue a right‑to‑sue letter so you can proceed to court.
• Proceed in court. If agency steps don’t resolve the matter, you can file in state or federal court. Judges can award back pay, front pay, lost benefits, emotional distress damages, and, under the NYCHRL, punitive damages. Courts can also require training or policy updates.
• Available remedies. Expect remedies tailored to your losses—wages, benefits, and personal harm—and changes that help prevent the same conduct going forward.

Compensation Brings Real Relief

Pregnancy discrimination disrupts paychecks, benefits, and momentum. 

New York law gives you tools to rebuild—through back pay, front pay, restored benefits, emotional‑distress damages, and, when warranted, punitive awards. You deserve a path back to stability.

Our pregnancy discrimination attorneys at Horn Wright, LLP fight for unjust treatment victims across New York. We push for every remedy the law allows and keep you informed at each step. 

Reach out so we can help protect your future. Contact our office to arrange your complimentary case review.