Supreme Court Debates Reach of Pregnancy Law

In what has become one of the most highly anticipated employment law cases of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 October Term, today the Court heard oral argument in Young v. United Parcel Service over whether “light duty” work assignments must be provided to employees for non-work related conditions if the light duty is necessitated by pregnancy and whether such “light duty” assignments are deemed “accommodations.” More specifically, the issue before the Court was whether the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (“PDA”) mandates that an employer accommodate a pregnant employee who is unable to perform the essential functions of her job due to pregnancy-related restrictions if the employer provides accommodations to non-pregnant employees with similar restrictions but whose limitations were caused by work-related injury. Splitting time and arguing on behalf of Young was Michigan law professor, Samuel R. Bagenstos and U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli. UPS was represented by Caitlin Halligan.

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