New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and New York City’s Human Rights Commission, have made it a violation not to serve pregnant women alcohol in bars. If that’s what they want, of course.
The new set of guidelines prohibit bars from refusing to serve pregnant women alcohol because it’s a discrimination under the city’s Human Rights Law.
Before the new guidelines were released on Friday, establishments could refuse to serve pregnant women alcohol, or raw fish, and even prevent pregnant women entering their premises.
The new guidelines consider each of these examples a violation, as they explicitly explain:
“A restaurant policy that prohibits staff from serving pregnant individuals raw fish or alcohol [and] a bouncer [denying] a pregnant individual entrance to a bar based on the belief that pregnant individuals should not be going to bars and/or drinking alcohol.”
Health officials still advise abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy, even though there are indications that limited alcohol intake during pregnancy has no negative effects on the fetus. The new guidelines allow the women to decide for themselves.
The new guidelines also ensure a safe and healthy environment for pregnant women at work. This includes bathroom breaks, snacking at work, access to seating, no strenuous activities, and leave to recover from childbirth. They also protect pregnant women from being fired due to their state.
Since 2014, New York employers have been required to provide their pregnant employees with reasonable accommodations at work, but the National Women’s Law Center reported that over 75-percent of low-wage workers were not allowed basic accommodations during pregnancy.
Hopefully, the new guidelines will emphasize these rights so pregnant employees feel comfortable in requesting accommodations without having to fear any retaliation.
And afterwards, pregnant employees are free to join their colleagues for happy hour. If that’s what they want, of course.
Featured image screengrab via Video.
