Healthy Pregnancy at the Workplace

Barriers & Considerations

• Know the law
• Who needs to be involved?
• Barriers and options
• How do I communicate the policy to my employees?
• How do I make sure the policy is effective?

Know the Law

• According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission:
  
  
  • It is illegal to discriminate because a woman is, was, or may become pregnant
  • Pregnancy can be a valid health-related reason for absence
    
    
• The Ontario Ministry of Labour states employers are legally required to accommodate the special needs of pregnant workers
• Review any collective agreement(s)

Who needs to be involved?

• All stakeholders including health and safety committees, wellness committees, union and employee representatives, HR etc.

Barriers and Options

• Workplace hazards that could contribute to health problems for the mother and her unborn baby. For a complete list of risks visit best start (PDF 166KB, 2 pages)
• Be prepared for leave of absence or disability requests
• Offer alternative work arrangements

How do I communicate the policy to my employees?

• Include policy communication to employees as a mandatory component of orientation
• Ensure the needs and requirements of pregnant women are communicated to other staff, especially if there is a need to change work allocation.

How do I make sure the policy is effective?

• Encourage management promotion and support
• Create a supportive environment
• Evaluate with respect to implementation and effectiveness.
• Review the periodically to ensure it remains current.

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