In September 2013, the New York City Council amended the New York Human Rights Law to expand accommodation protections for employees based on pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions. Effective January 1, 2014, it became unlawful in NYC for an employer with four or more employees to refuse an employee's reasonable request for accommodation due to a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, even if the condition does not qualify as a disability. The law also imposes certain notice requirements: covered employers were required to provide notice to new employees starting January 1, 2014 and to existing employees no later than May 30, 2014. The law also encourages employers to post written notice in a conspicuous area accessible to all employees although such posting does not meet the forgoing notice requirements. The NYC Commission on Human Rights has published posters in several languages to help employers comply with these requirement.
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