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Connections

Connections: Discussing pregnancy discrimination in the workplace

Can a woman be fired for getting pregnant? The law says no, but in the past week, thousands of women across the country have shared their own stories on social media, describing the pressure or discrimination they felt when they became pregnant. The conversation was sparked by Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has said that she lost her teaching job in the early 1970s when she started a family.

This hour, we explore what the laws said then, how they’ve evolved, and what they say now. Who's protected, and when? What can employers ask of women, and what is out of bounds? We're joined by women who share their own stories, and we sit down with employment law attorneys to answer your questions. In studio:

  • Sharon Stiller, partner and director of the employment law practice at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP
  • Beth Cordello, chair of the employment law practice at Pullano & Farrow
  • Kara Austin, graphic designer and marketing professional, and mother of a preschooler
  • Heather Hare, senior director of corporate communications for WNED, WBFO in Buffalo and Toronto, and mother of two
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.