While Sandra is on maternity leave, her employer decides to make Sandra's job half time and offers that position to her temporary replacement. Sandra's employer clearly discriminated against her by firing her. Employers cannot terminate someone because she is on pregnancy or maternity leave, even if they like the replacement worker better. If Sandra wanted the half-time job and if it was reasonably possible to hold it open until her return to work, her employer may also have discriminated against her by failing to offer her this opportunity. Employers must consider the impact of business decisions on women who are temporarily absent from the workplace because of pregnancy.
Pregnancy discrimination is illegal under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.
Sometimes this discrimination is deliberate. For example, some employers may terminate women because they think pregnant employees don't suit the 'image' of the job. Some employers refuse to hire women who are planning to have children. It is probably more common, however, for pregnancy discrimination to be unintentional. This can happen when a general rule or practice happens to affect pregnant employees more negatively than others.