WASHINGTON — President Obama has endorsed U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.’s, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which would protect pregnant women from discrimination in the workplace.

Obama approved of the bill — first introduced in 2012 — during Monday’s White House Summit on Working Families.

The legislation would require employers to make reasonable accommodations, like using a stool while working at a cash register or carrying a bottle of water, for pregnant women. The legislation also protects women from retribution when asking for these reasonable accommodations.

“I’m pleased that President Obama has endorsed this common sense legislation to ensure that pregnant women receive basic accommodations in the workplace,” Casey said. “At today’s (Monday) Working Families Summit, President Obama has announced a series of concrete steps that will give more American families a fair shot. I’m committed to continuing to build support for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and getting it passed.”    

Currently, women make up nearly half of the labor force, and three-quarters of women entering the workforce will be pregnant and employed at some point in their careers. In Pennsylvania, approximately 96,000 women in the workforce give birth each year, representing 65 percent of all births in the state.

Currently, pregnant working women around the country are being denied simple adjustments — permission to use a stool while working a cash register, or to carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated, or temporary reassignment to lighter duty tasks — that would keep them working and supporting their families while maintaining healthy pregnancies. The legislation will close legal loopholes and ensure that pregnant women are treated fairly on the job, according to Casey.

Some states have passed laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that pregnant workers have on-the-job protections, but millions of women are vulnerable to this type of workplace discrimination.