The ACLU filed two lawsuits against Frontier Airlines for systematically denying its employees basic accommodations for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Frontier has penalized flight attendants for absences during their pregnancies, and forces both pilots and flight attendants onto unpaid leave at the end of their pregnancies with no alternatives. Employees with other medical conditions that render them temporarily unable to fly have been given the option of working in temporary ground positions, but this option is not made available for pregnant employees. Frontier also refuses to provide accommodations relating to breastfeeding, and has even banned employees from pumping while on duty.
The two cases are the first of their kind alleging systemic failure to accommodate pregnancy and breastfeeding in the airline industry. One action was filed as a class action by four flight attendants on behalf of themselves and a class of all other similarly situated flight attendants. The other was brought by four Frontier pilots. Both suits seek commonsense changes to Frontier’s policies, including the adoption of policies that would make ground positions available during pregnancy or breastfeeding, permit schedule modifications for breastfeeding employees, and provide employees reasonable breaks and designate private and sanitary locations to pump while on duty.
