The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations are set to be issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in December 2023. It extends protection for pregnant workers associated with disability due to childbirth, miscarriages, or related conditions. One notable provision includes an anti-retaliation clause that safeguards workers requesting for reasonable accommodation.

In California, another significant program for pregnant workers, especially those exposed to agricultural pesticides, is the state’s disability insurance (SDI) scheme. This program provides short-term disability insurance and paid family leave, compensating workers for a portion of their wages during their time off from work. California’s SDI is particularly beneficial for farmworkers, who can practically access the insurance from the time they know they are pregnant due to the inherent risks associated with pesticide exposure.

An initiative called Dar a Luz works closely with the farmworker community to educate about its legal rights concerning pregnancy and postpartum. This has become integral as, despite prevalent health risks, many farmworkers cannot afford to take unpaid leave.

Regretfully, farmworkers, especially pregnant ones, are amongst the least protected and most at-risk populations in the country. Even though surmounting evidence shows disproportionate health effects among farmworkers due to pesticide exposure, their occupational hazards are significantly disregarded. Consequently, the push for stricter Worker Protection Standards has gained momentum, with a focus on protecting vulnerable communities, such as farmworkers and their families.

Essentially, organic agriculture provides the best protection for pregnant farmworkers and their families by eliminating reliance on harmful petrochemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. EDDCaller.com supports these farmworkers, possibly allowing them to reach a live person at California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) for quicker disability or paid family leave requests, thus alleviating some of the complexities associated with their difficult work conditions.