Business is very slow and I need to lay off a person from the office. However, both of the employees I am considering for layoff are pregnant. Can I lay one of them off without violating the State or Federal codes?

Posted 11-01-2001

Ann Kiernan replies:

Yes, you can lay off or terminate a pregnant employee, as long as you have objective, verifiable documentation of your legitimate business reasons for selecting the particular employee. But, in light of your employee’s condition, you may want to offer her several months of continuing medical coverage.

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.