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" Given the number of working moms, you&amp;#039;d think we&amp;#039;d be over discriminating against mothers-to-be. Apparently not. Claims of pregnancy discrimination, which include being fired, suspended, forced to take leave, and facing harsher discipline, have risen significantly in the past 20 years. A new report finds that in 1997, there were 3,900 claims, while in 2013, there were 5,342. This number is climbing faster than the rate of women entering the workforce, and a significant part of the increase is coming from women of color. This week, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces laws that prohibit employment discrimination, responded by announcing the first comprehensive overhaul of its guidelines in more than 30 years. Here&amp;#039;s what you need to know: 1. Not pregnant now? These rules still apply. They affect women who are currently pregnant, but also those who&amp;#039;ve been pregnant in the past, and even those who have the intention, or just the potential, to get pregnant. And this includes taking contraceptives \u2014 an employer cannot fire you because you use them, nor can they terminate you for having or considering an abortion. 2. Pregnancy can&amp;#039;t stop you from getting promoted. Coworkers who aren&amp;#039;t pregnant, but can do their work at the same level you can, must not get preferential treatment. Plus, an employer cannot force you to take leave because you&amp;#039;re pregnant, as long as you can do your job. 3. Your medical issues must get equal treatment. Pregnancy-related conditions must be given the same treatment as your coworkers&amp;#039; similar health problems. If someone with a back problem gets to sit on a stool, and you suffer from back pain while pregnant, you should be able to sit, too. 4. Even &amp;quot;neutral&amp;quot; policies could be discrimination. A workplace rule might cover all employees \u2014 for example, it may require everyone to lift heavy boxes \u2014 but if you can&amp;#039;t do it because you&amp;#039;re pregnant, your employer has to accept that. 5. You must have time and space to breastfeed or pump. Any practice that singles those things out is sex discrimination under the law, because only women lactate. Plus, getting &amp;quot;reasonable break time&amp;quot; and a private place other than a bathroom stall is required under the Family Medical Leave Act. 6. New dads deserve equal treatment, too. The guidelines clearly state that parental leave, which is separate from childbirth-related medical leave, must be offered equally to new dads and new moms alike. TELL US: What do you think of the updated guidelines? Photo: Getty NEXT: Top 10 Cities With the Happiest Workers \u00BB This story originally appeared on RedbookMag.com More from Redbook: \u2022 Why It&amp;#039;s Time to #StopCensoringMotherhood \u2022 &amp;quot;My Husband and I Made it Our Life&amp;#039;s Work to Heal Our Daughter&amp;quot; \u2022 10 Things He Wishes You Wouldn&amp;#039;t Take So Seriously "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/career/advice/a25610/pregnancy-discrimination-workplace-rules/>