Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Settlement in Young v. UPS, Calls on U.S. Postal Service to Update Policies

WASHINGTON —Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the announcement that UPS has reached a settlement with former employee Peggy Young, the plaintiff in a Pregnancy Discrimination Act case in the Supreme Court against the company earlier this year. Immediately prior to the Supreme Court challenge, UPS voluntarily updated its pregnancy policy to provide temporary light duty assignments to pregnant workers similar to those available to workers injured on the job. The ruling did not impact the U.S. Postal Service, which still has an official policy resulting in discrimination against workers who are pregnant, despite calls from civil rights groups to make reforms:

“Peggy Young faced an unfair choice when UPS denied her request for temporary light duty work due to her pregnancy. By bringing the issue of pregnancy discrimination to the Supreme Court, Young made a real difference in the lives of millions of women.

UPS, in its voluntary change of policy, modeled how corporations can work with civil rights advocates and workers to create inclusive workplaces.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Postal Service continues to discriminate against its own pregnant workers. Its own policy doesn’t comport with EEOC guidance, the position of the Obama administration in the Young case, or the standard being urged by civil rights groups. We strongly urge the U.S. Postal Service, which has thus far refused to update its policy, catch up with the times, and treat its pregnant workers with the respect and dignity they’re entitled to under the law.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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