America’s self-proclaimed greenest airline can now say it has a more family-friendly employment atmosphere after it settled an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit from 2019. The lawsuit alleged that Frontier discriminated against pregnant and lactating employees. Under the settlement, Frontier does not admit liability, but it does have to update its policies regarding pregnancy and lactation accommodations.
Gender equality in air travel industry
Frontier is making critical steps forward gender equality for pregnant and lactating pilots. One of the terms of the settlement is to allow lactating pilots the ability to pump breastmilk in the cockpit during non-critical phases of the flight. Frontier is one of the first airlines to make this option available for lactating pilots. In addition, Frontier will also:
- Maintain a list of airport facilities where employees can pump breastmilk.
- Lactating pilots can drop to 50 hours of flight time each month.
- Clarifying policies about flying when pregnant or accommodating pilots who are unable to fly during pregnancy.
Per the EEOC’s press release – “Today’s settlement accomplishes a vital goal: ensuring that expectant and new mothers are treated with the fairness and respect they deserve,” said Jayme Jonat, partner at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP and a member of the litigation team representing the pilots.
Why accommodations matter for pregnant and lactating employees
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women’s Health suggests at least 4 reasons why it’s important to accommodate employees who need a place to pump breastmilk. There are health benefits for both mom and baby. Employers that provide accommodations can be more certain that breastfeeding parents return to work instead of having to train someone new. It’s not special treatment. It’s leveling the playing field for parents who need to work. Plus, it’s the law.
“In 2010, Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was amended to require employers to provide basic accommodations, such as time and space, for breastfeeding mothers at work.”
While this case was settled out of court and it didn’t involve punitive damages, it still took over 4 years to settle. Know the laws about pregnant and lactating employees to stay out of hot water with the EEOC.
Dawn Brotherton is a Sr. Staff Writer at The American Genius with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is an experienced business writer with over 10 years of experience in SEO and content creation. Since 2017, she has earned $60K+ in grant writing for a local community center, which assists disadvantaged adults in the area.
