The Human Resource Management course was my favorite class that I took this fall in Disney. I have learned valuable information about how human resource department play a huge role in a company in terms of staffing, training and development, motivation, and maintenance. The part that really piqued my curiosity was the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 which is one of the primary federal laws affecting discrimination. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 prohibits sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. This law affects all human resource departments in some countries especially in United States. Also, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act affects staffing and/or training and development in human resource management.
The article, “New Pregnancy Protections Impacting All Illinois Employers” by Jeffrey Risch talks about a new pregnancy protection act in Illinois. HB 8, pushed through the Illinois Legislature and ready to be signed into law by Governor Quinn, amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to add to the list of employment discrimination, an employer’s failure to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee based on conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. Employers currently must balance the rights of employees under the current Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA). HB 8 provides leave rights to all employees well beyond FMLA: The impact of these changes could be devastating to employers. HB 8 allows unlimited leave for pregnancy, childbirth or conditions related to the pregnancy or childbirth. HB 8 allows the employee, probationary employee and job applicant to pick the accommodation and employer must accommodate unless the request creates an “undue hardship”.
This article has a huge impact in today’s human resource management because the HB8 allows unlimited leave for pregnancy, childbirth or conditions related to pregnancy. This is clearly way beyond the original FMLA. The effect of this new act in Illinois will have a huge impact on employers and their human resource management because it will affect staffing and/or training. Having an unlimited leave and employer being required to hold the position indefinitely also affects human resource management because it costs time and money. Although this new and revised pregnancy act is good for pregnant employees, I believe that the mention of unlimited leave should be reviewed further.
In conclusion, this article about a new a revised Pregnancy Protection Act in Illinois is creating a huge impact in the human resource field. This new act also affects staffing and/or training and development in human resource management.
Human Resource Management was one of my favorite class also. The pregnancy discrimination act was one of the ones that got my attention also. This law allows women that are pregnant still work in their jobs until they give birth.