Aug2008
»News»Newsletter»Court to Employers: Patients Deserve Time for Treatment, August 2008
Court to Employers: Patients Deserve Time for Treatment
| Dear Sonja,
For the first time, a Federal appeals court has
declared that women going through fertility treatment
have rights similar to pregnant women when it comes
to job protection.
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The Employment-Treatment Connection
Once a woman has made the tough decision to seek
help from a fertility specialist, the last thing she needs
is an employer who is unsupportive of her treatment
journey. A woman in Illinois was fired after taking "too
much" time off for IVF treatment. The three-judge
panel set precedent by ruling the patient can invoke
the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, thereby having her
job protected while pursuing conception.
The time involved with IVF, particularly for women
patients, can be more than a minor inconvenience.
Blood tests, ultrasounds -- these are things that must
be done on specific days in a woman's cycle for
treatment to work.
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Eyes On Your Calendar
In fact, that's one of the reasons I've often
recommended to people with seasonally-focused
employment -- such as teachers -- consider using
their off-time for fertility treatment. Having all of those
open days in your schedule can allow you to be more
relaxed through your treatment cycle.
There aren't many medical conditions that require
such pinpointing on the calendar. Many employers
simply need education about the process, but even
then, there are no guarantees yet that bosses won't
be irked by patients who must arrive late, leave early,
or even take a few days off entirely. This ruling in
Illinois is an important first step in job protection for
infertility patients.
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In This With You
I admire the women who come in to my practice at
dawn so they can conduct their diagnostic and
treatment appointments before hurrying off to work. My
patients' dedication to getting pregnant is exactly why
we have early morning hours and a second office in
Sugar Land. I'm happy, upon request by patients, to
convey to employers the optimal schedule for fertility
treatment cycles, in a way that they'll recognize the win-
win for all involved.
I look forward to hearing from you on my new
blog,
where I've discussed this and other newsworthy items
about overcoming infertility.
Sincerely,
Sonja B. Kristiansen, MD
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