EEOC Plans to Scale Back Pregnancy Workplace Protections

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is preparing to scale back workplace accommodations for women related to pregnancy and reproductive health. Under the leadership of Chair Andrea Lucas, the agency plans to narrow the regulations of the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which currently provide protections for conditions including menstruation, fertility treatments, and abortion.

Proposed changes expected as soon as November 2026 aim to remove what Lucas describes as liberal excesses from the previous administration. Lucas argues that current rules incorrectly conflate pregnancy and childbirth accommodation with the broader biological needs of the female sex. While core pregnancy protections are expected to remain, the agency may eliminate explicit protections for non-pregnant conditions and expand religious exemptions for employers.

These regulatory shifts follow a 2025 federal court ruling in Louisiana that struck down requirements for employers to accommodate purely elective abortions. The move also aligns with ongoing lawsuits filed by 17 Republican-led states.