Baker planning to sign pregnant worker protection bill

BOSTON — Gov. Charlie Baker is planning to sign a bill offering protections for pregnant women in the workplace.

The bill requires employers to offer "reasonable accommodations" to pregnant workers and makes it illegal to fire or refuse to hire a female worker because of a pregnancy.

Reasonable accommodations could include anything from temporary transfers to less strenuous positions, to providing workers with a stool to sit on or more frequent bathroom breaks.

Lawmakers approved the bill last week.

The Republican governor will sign the bill Thursday afternoon during a ceremony at the Statehouse.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo made the bill a priority after MotherWoman, an advocacy group for working women, negotiated an agreement with Associated Industries of Massachusetts on proposed language.

Associated Press