Policy on Pregnancy and Pregnancy-Related Conditions

Policy Number: 420

Human Resources

The permanent link for this policy is: https://policies.northeastern.edu/policy420/

I. Purpose and Scope

The university recognizes that employees who are pregnant or have a condition related to pregnancy have the right to be free from discrimination and that they may need a reasonable accommodation to have equally effective opportunities to participate in employment. This may include providing an accommodation for pregnant employees or for employees with conditions that relate to pregnancy even if the employee is not experiencing a pregnancy-related disability. The purpose of this policy is to meet requirements of the law and to provide employees with reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law. This policy applies to all qualified applicants and employees.

II. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy, the legal definitions of reasonable accommodation, undue hardship, and other definitions and legal standards pertinent to the provision of reasonable accommodations for an employee’s pregnancy or a condition related to an employee’s pregnancy apply.

III. Policy

The university is committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities for employees who are pregnant or have a condition related to pregnancy, including, but not limited to, lactation or the need to express breast milk for a nursing child.

Accordingly, the university provides a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee’s need to express breast milk for the employee’s infant child. Where possible, break time shall run concurrently with other breaks. The university will make a reasonable effort to provide the employee with the use of a room or other location in close proximity to the employee’s work area for the employee to express milk in private. Such space will not be a bathroom and will meet the requirements of applicable law. Upon request for an accommodation, the university will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation for an employee’s pregnancy or a condition related to an employee’s pregnancy to enable the employee to perform the essential functions of the employee’s job, unless the requested accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the university, as defined by law.

The university may require that an employee requesting the accommodation provide documentation from an appropriate health care or rehabilitation professional about the need for a requested accommodation or the need to extend an accommodation. The university will not require such documentation if the employee has requested more frequent restroom, food or water breaks; seating; limits on lifting over 20 pounds; or private, non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk. The university will process requests for reasonable accommodations and provide reasonable accommodations in a prompt, fair, and efficient manner. The university will not tolerate any form of discrimination or retaliation against applicants or employees on the basis of pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions.

IV. Additional Information

An employee may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting the Absence Management team in University Human Resources at HR_ADA@northeastern.edu or by submitting a request through Workday. An applicant for employment may request a reasonable accommodation orally or in writing from the university employee with whom the applicant has contact in connection with the application process or through the Absence Management team in University Human Resources at HR_ADA@northeastern.edu