District of Columbia Protecting Pregnant Workers Act Poster Mandatory

Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act 	
 - Know Your Rights in the District of Columbia -	
Accommodations for Pregnancy, Childbirth and Breastfeeding
The Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PPW) requires District of Columbia employers to provide reasonable 
workplace accommodations for employees whose ability to perform job duties is limited because of pregnancy, childbirth, 
breastfeeding, or a related medical condition. 
The employer must engage in good faith and in a timely and interactive process to determine the accommodations.
Types of Accommodations	
ohr.dc.gov      phone: (202) 727-4559     fax: (202) 727-9589      441 4th Street NW, Suit	e  570N,  Washington,  DC  20001      	
Filing a Complaint of a Violation	
If you believe an employer has wrongfully denied you a reasonable accommodation or has discriminated 
against you because of your pregnancy, childbirth, need to breastfeed or a related medical condition, you 
can file a complaint within one year with the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR). To file a complaint, visit:
OHR will perform the initial mediation and investigation. If probable cause exists, administrative law judges 
at the Commission on Human Rights will make a final determination.	
• Online 	at ohr.dc.gov; or	
• In-Person	 at 441 4th Street NW, Suite 570N, Washington, DC 20001.	
Employers must make all reasonable accommodations,* including but not limited to:
Prohibited Actions by Employers
•  Refuse an accommodation unless it would cause significant hardship or expense to the business;
•  Take adverse action against an employee for requesting an accommodation;
•  Deny employment opportunities to the employee because of the request or need for an accommodation;
•  Require an employee to take leave if a reasonable accommodation can be provided; or
•  Require employees to accept an accommodation unless it’s necessary for the employee to perform her job duties.
•  More frequent or longer breaks;
•  Time off to recover from 
childbirth;
•  Temporarily transferring the 
employee to a less strenuous or 
hazardous position;	
•  Purchasing or modifying work 
equipment, such as chairs;
•  Temporarily restructuring the 
employee’s position to provide 
light duty or a modified work 
schedule;	
•  Having the employee refrain from 
heavy lifting;
•  Relocating the employee’s work 
area; or
•  Providing private (non-bathroom) 
space for expressing breast milk. 	
Certification from Health Care Provider
The  employer  may  require  an  employee  to  provide  certification  from  a  health  care  provider  indicating  a  reasonable 
accommodation  is  advisable.  The  certification  must  include:  (1)  the  date  the  accommodation  became  or  will  become 
medically advisable; (2) an explanation of the medical condition and need for a reasonable accommodation; and (3) the 
probable length of time the accommodation should be provided. 
* A “reasonable accommodation” is one that does not require significant difficulty in the operation of the employer’s business or 
significant expense for the employer, with consideration to factors such as the size of the business, its financial resources and the 
nature and structure of the business.
Employers may not:	
REVISED 01/03/19