Trump Administration Reportedly Plans To Slash Pregnant Worker Protections and IVF Accommodations

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to scale back protections for pregnant workers, including accommodation rights linked to abortion and fertility treatment such as IVF, under a US workplace law.

The proposed changes concern the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires covered employers to make reasonable adjustments for workers with pregnancy-related limitations.

The plans have not been formally announced. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the law, has listed proposed revisions on the federal government's regulatory agenda, according to reporting published on Monday, 2 November.

Seven people familiar with the discussions told The New York Times that the administration is considering reducing provisions relating to pregnancy and reproductive health.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was passed by Congress in 2022 and took effect on 27 June 2023. It requires employers with 15 or more workers to provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship.

What Pregnant Workers Can Ask For

Under the current rules, accommodations can include extra bathroom breaks, permission to carry water or food, a stool for someone who needs to sit, schedule changes and time off for prenatal appointments.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also lists lighter duties, temporary reassignment, remote work, changes to uniforms or safety equipment, and leave after childbirth.

The law bars employers from forcing an employee to take leave when another reasonable accommodation would allow them to keep working. It also prevents employers from denying job opportunities because someone needs an accommodation, or retaliating against workers who request one.

The proposed revision would revisit how the agency interprets the phrase 'pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions'. That wording determines whether protections cover conditions beyond an ongoing pregnancy, including miscarriage, postpartum depression, lactation, endometriosis, menstruation, abortion and fertility treatment.

Why IVF Is Caught up in This

The reported proposal focuses on reproductive healthcare that does not involve a current pregnancy. According to people familiar with the discussions, the administration is considering narrowing the conditions that qualify, with abortion and fertility treatments among the areas likely to be affected.

Under the current Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations, abortion is included in the agency's interpretation of related medical conditions, meaning eligible workers may seek reasonable accommodations, including time off for the procedure and related travel.

Federal court injunctions have restricted the EEOC's enforcement of certain abortion-related provisions in specific jurisdictions and against certain organisations. The reported changes could further narrow the agency's interpretation.

The administration is also considering expanding religious exemptions, which could allow employers to deny certain accommodations for reproductive health-related conditions where providing them conflicts with the employer's religious beliefs.

Supporters of the original law argue that pregnancy does not exist in isolation from miscarriage, IVF, postpartum illness or other reproductive health events.

Critics of the current regulations, including some conservatives who backed the statute, contend that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stretched the law beyond its intended scope when it covered abortion and fertility treatment.

The Wider Abortion Context

The dispute has intensified since the US Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022. Abortion is now banned or restricted in 13 states, and some women travel across state lines for the procedure.

Workplace accommodations can include measures such as additional breaks, altered shifts or time off for medical appointments. For workers in physically demanding roles, or those who cannot easily take unpaid leave, such adjustments can affect whether they remain in employment.

Research has also examined the law's practical impact. A 2025 study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was associated with a 3.2% increase in births in states newly covered by the law.

What Happens Next

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's regulatory agenda lists November 2026 as the anticipated date for publishing a proposed rule. The public comment period is expected to close in January 2027.

A proposed rule can be revised, delayed or challenged before it takes effect, and members of the public will be able to submit responses during the comment period. IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the reported details at this stage.

The White House and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have been approached for comment.

If the administration proceeds as reported, millions of American workers could face a narrower definition of what counts as a pregnancy-related need, and employers could gain greater scope to refuse accommodations tied to abortion or IVF.

For affected workers, that could influence whether requests for adjustments such as a stool, a schedule change or time off are granted.