Urge Florence, Kentucky Mayor Whalen to look out for pregnant workers!

The Washington Post recently reported that when Florence, Kentucky police officer Lyndi Trischler, at her doctor’s urging, asked her supervisors if she could be assigned to light duty for the duration of her pregnancy--the same accommodation she’d received once before--her supervisor denied the request.

Why? Because of a new city-wide policy that codifies discrimination and denies any modified duty to any city employee who requests it, unless they have an on the on-the-job injury.

This is outrageous AND it’s against the law, as it goes against the Americans with Disability Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) pregnancy discrimination & temporary disability guidelines, and in this case, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

*Fill out the form to the right to urge Florence, Kentucky Mayor Diane E. Whalen to change the city’s discriminatory policy to be in full compliance with the law and to let Lyndi get back to work!

Sign Today!

Mayor Diane E. Whalen:

It’s time for the City of Florence to move forward, not backward.

Florence needs a new policy for modified duty for city employees that is in full compliance with the law. And Officer Trischler needs to be able to go back to her job protecting the people of Florence and financially supporting her family.

We call on you to stand with Florence moms, like Lyndi, to make sure that city workplace policies work for the citizens of Florence, Kentucky. No mother should ever have to be in the position where she is forced to choose between her job and her health or the health of her baby.

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Subject: Help Lyndi Trischler Your message to friends:

I just took action to help pregnant Florence, Kentucky Police Officer Lyndi Trischler and I knew you'd want to help too!

Lyndi has been denied light duty to accommodate her pregnancy-related limitations and heart palpitations. She was forced to take unpaid leave and now has to move out of her apartment because she can't afford her rent.

All because of a discriminatory city policy.

Tell Florence Mayor Diane Whalen that Florence needs a new policy that is in full compliance with the law and Officer Trischler needs to be able to go back to her job protecting the people of Florence!

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Kentucky_pregnancy_discrimination/?source=taf

And read more about it below.

Thanks!

========= original message ==========

Dear Friend,

When I heard about this story, I got so mad I wanted to spit nails.

When Florence, Kentucky police officer Lyndi Trischler, was five months pregnant with her second child and no longer able to wear the body armor or utility belt required for her patrol work because they didn’t fit and they made it difficult to breathe; she let her supervisor know. [1] She also experienced the onset of heart palpitations and, according to the Washington Post, at her doctor’s urging, she asked her supervisors if she could be assigned to light duty for the duration of her pregnancy. [2] This was the same accommodation she’d received when she was pregnant with her first child.[3]

Her supervised denied the request. [4]

Why? Because of a new city-wide policy that codifies discrimination and denies any modified duty to any city employee who requests it, unless they have an on the on-the-job injury. [5]

Spitting nails won’t help Lyndi. But urging Florence Mayor Diane E. Whalen to change the city’s discriminatory policy and let Lyndi get back to work and to earning her much-needed paycheck, could make a huge difference for Lyndi and other pregnant workers in Florence, Kentucky.

*Click here to urge Mayor Whalen to fix this discriminatory policy! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Kentucky_pregnancy_discrimination/?source=taf

Our hearts go out to Lyndi. On top of what is already a stressful time—Lyndi’s unborn son has been diagnosed with a rare bone disorder and is not expected to live long after birth—Lyndi is being forced to go on un-paid leave and has to move out of her apartment because she can no longer afford the rent. [6,7]

This situation is absolutely, totally, unacceptable.

*Send a message to Mayor Whalen now urging her to fix the policy and let Lyndi get back to work! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Kentucky_pregnancy_discrimination/?source=taf

It doesn't have to be this way. When Lyndi was pregnant with her first child, and working as a patrol officer in the same police department, she was able to work a desk job in the precinct when the physical demands of the work became dangerous for her pregnancy—a change that allowed her to keep serving the community, stay healthy, and not place her family's economic security at risk by taking unpaid leave. [8] Providing reasonable accomodations for pregnant workers often saves employers huge costs related to recruiting and training new employees.

This short-term modification also saved the city the huge costs related to recruiting and training a new police officer.

However, in April 2013, the city of Florence instituted this new policy that denies any modified duty to any city employee who requests it, unless they have an on-the-job injury. [9] It’s outrageous AND it’s against the law, as it goes against the Americans with Disability Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) pregnancy discrimination & temporary disability guidelines, and in this case, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. [10] [11]

It’s bad policies like this one in Florence, Kentucky that make having a baby one of the causes of poverty spells in the United States, and it just doesn’t have to be this way. [12]

Our friends at A Better Balance are representing Lyndi in her legal efforts, and you can read more about their work and the case below. [13]

But the legal process is a lengthy one and Lyndi doesn’t have the luxury of time as she prepares for the upcoming birth of her fatally ill second child, while also caring for her daughter and losing her home because she can no longer afford it.

Let’s make the wait shorter and demand justice be delivered to Lindi NOW!

*Tell Mayor Whalen that it’s time for the City of Florence to move forward, not backward. Florence, Kentucky needs a new policy that is in full compliance with the law and Officer Trischler needs to be able to go back to her job protecting the people of Florence: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Kentucky_pregnancy_discrimination/?source=taf

Let’s stand with moms like Lyndi to make sure workplace policies work for families, because no mother should ever have to be in the position where she is forced to choose between her job and her health, or the health of her baby.

**Please pass this email on to your friends and family, and share the action link on Facebook and Twitter, so that even more people can stand with Lyndi.

Our voices together are a powerful force for women and families.

- Ruth, Nina, Ashley, Elisa, Karen, Sara, Nate and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S We thank our friends at A Better Balance for supporting Lyndi and representing her in her legal efforts. Read more about their work with Lyndi here:http://www.abetterbalance.org/web/component/content/article/50-fairnessworkplace/315-lyndi-trischler

[1] The Washington Post: Pregnant women fight to keep jobs via ‘reasonable accommodations’

[2] ibid

[3] ibid

[4] USA Today, Police work, pregnancy collide in Ky. Town, CBS News: Field work or no pay for pregnant Kentucky police officer Lyndi Trischler

[5] A Better Balance We're fighting back for Officer Trischler,

[6] ibid

[7] USA Today, Police work, pregnancy collide in Ky. Town

[8] The Washington Post: Pregnant women fight to keep jobs via ‘reasonable accommodations’

[9] USA Today, Police work, pregnancy collide in Ky. Town

[10] Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Pregnancy Discrimination Enforcement Guidance

[11] A Better Balance: Florence: Y’all need light duty

[12] The Nation: Too Often, a New Baby Brings Big Debt

[13] A Better Balance We're fighting back for Officer Trischler

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