Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Planned Parenthood Faces Accusations Of Discrimination Against Its Pregnant Workers
As a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, Ta’Lisa Hairston urged pregnant women to take rest breaks at work, stay hydrated and, please, eat regular meals. Then she got pregnant and couldn’t follow her own advice. Last winter, Ms. Hairston told the human-resources department for Planned Parenthood’s clinic in White Plains, N.Y., that her high blood pressure was threatening her pregnancy. She sent the department multiple notes from her nurse recommending that she take frequent breaks. (Kitroeff and Silver-Greenberg, 12/20)
Some women who worked at the reproductive health nonprofit told the Times that they were denied breaks while they were pregnant or saw managers declining to hire women who were pregnant, both in violation of labor laws. “I believe we must do better than we are now,” Leana Wen, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement released to The Hill. “It’s our obligation to do better, for our staff, for their families and for our patients.” (Birnbaum, 12/20)