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SEATTLE - Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown announced a lawsuit against Providence Health & Services in King County, alleging the healthcare organization neglected to support pregnant and nursing employees in violation of state law.
According to the Attorney General's Office, incidents dating as far back as 2021 found employees were "routinely denied" accommodations while nursing or pregnant. This included the ability to sit more often, schedule flexibility, limits on heavy lifting and providing private spaces to pump breast milk.
Washington sues Providence
The AGO contends that, even if an accommodation was granted "on paper," Providence often "failed or refused" to implement it, and in some cases retaliated against employees by firing them, forcing them to go on leave, or assigning them more difficult duties.
"Taking commonsense steps to keep pregnant and nursing employees and their babies safe and healthy isn’t optional—it’s the law," said Brown. "A health care provider like Providence should know better."
AG Brown called it "bitterly ironic" that Providence cares for thousands of pregnant patients, but prevents their own employees from seeking the same care.
Providence denies mistreating pregnant employees
Providence Health & Services responded to the lawsuit, writing:
"Guided by our Mission and values, Providence is committed to caring for our caregivers, including supporting caregiver health and workplace accommodations. We strive to fully apply and comply with all relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations governing pregnancy-related health needs and accommodations. We take concerns in this area seriously and continually work to strengthen our policies, training and processes so our caregivers are supported.
"We engaged in discussions with the Attorney General’s office about compliance with Washington’s Healthy Starts law, which addresses pregnancy and postpartum accommodations. While we attempted to have a meaningful exchange, the office refused to share meaningful information that would allow us to understand their assertions, address any individual concerns and further refine our processes to better serve caregivers.
"We remain committed to working in good faith to reach an appropriate resolution of any issues and are disappointed by the State’s focus on litigation rather than collaborative efforts to help caregivers. We care deeply about providing a safe, supportive workplace for parents, including paid parental leave benefits, pregnancy-related accommodations and the necessary flexibility when parents return to work after the birth (or adoption) of a child."
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The Source: Information in this story comes from the Washington State Attorney General's Office and Providence Health & Services.