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Any Pregnant Police Officers?

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I am currently dealing with some discrimination issues at my department. If you are or were a police officer, does your department have a "pregnancy policy" in place? I have done a ton of research on the laws pertaining to pregnant women in law enforcement, but we have no policies in place and it's an uphill battle everyday for me with the administration. Any help would be appreciated! If your department has a "pregnancy policy" can you please respond back with the name of your agency or message me so I can do some more research to make my work environment fair. Thank you.
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Re: Any Pregnant Police Officers?

  • aibreanaibrean member

    There are federal laws in place..

    https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/pregnancy.cfm 

    https://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf 

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  • Sue&PasqualeSue&Pasquale member
    our department in MA, our female pregnant officers are put on light duty. Once they give our Chief a note saying they are pregnant they are put on light duty. so assigned to the station, no gun, cant go out on calls, no details.
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  • kaco414kaco414

    I'm a police officer and while we don't have a policy in writing, we kind of have a standing rule that at 20 weeks (sooner if recommended by your doctor or you can't comfortably wear your duty belt) you go on desk duty. Our department has about 90 officers and in the 6 years that I've been here, I'm only the second to get pregnant while on the job and no one can even remember a time before that when it was an issue.Even though I knew it wasn't an issue with the last female officer, I made it a point to talk to HR and our Equal Opportunity Office before talking to my immediate supervisors. I find that any time they sense a gender discrimination conversation looming, they are much more receptive and if they know HR is already involved, it puts a little more heat on your supervisors.

    Because we have nothing in writing I was a little worried that my immediate supervisors wouldn't be accommodating but they were surprisingly understanding and said "whatever we did for the last officer we do for you unless you feel like you need further accommodations and in that case, we will work with you and the equal opportunity office to come up with something." I've been thinking of getting something put into writing after my experience since we've gone from about a 10 to 1 ratio males to females to almost 5 to 1 in the last 6 years so obviously, the issue will come up more frequently.

    It is just unreasonable for a pregnant officer to be wearing a loaded duty belt (mine is about 13lbs), working crazy hours and being exposed to all of the other hazards that come with the job so I hope they work with you. Whatever your department tells you, I would say you should advocate to have something put in writing for future female officers. Good luck!

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  • arjust09arjust09 member

    im fighting this battle right now along with my fop.  my department doesn't have light duty. not even for injured officers.  they want me to take leave without pay until after baby is born.  i can't afford that! my husband lost his job last month and the only way i pay my mortgage now is through a va training program that gives me money for policing as long as i put in 120 hours per month.  

     

    i don't know what to do. lawyers are expensive.  i feel so betrayed.  they are being so heartless.  my chief passes the buck to hr and hr passes the buck back to the department and my fop has no say.  i work a lot of 12 hour shift and work night shift so of course im always on foot patrol alone and dealing with the drunks.  oh did i mention we don't carry?  that's a whole other issue we have gone to the media with and will be filling something against the department.  they also always mandatory me to work 16's and on my days off.  i can get no rest and have every pregnancy symptom in the book. 

     

    my fop even offered examples of light duty work i could do and they said no.  i don't get it.  they changed the schedule for the entire department, changed our uniforms, bought new cars and radios but they can't add light duty??? really??  im so stressed out.  i have to wait to get an answer now.  it's ridiculous.  i am the first female officer to ever get pregnant at my department.  they really should have figured this out a long time ago.  i've only been there a year.  so frustrated. 

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