Faculty and staff may have a right to reasonable accommodation for known limitations or disabilities related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical issues, including lactation. Accommodations requests should be submitted to the employee’s supervisor or Employee Relations Consultant (“ERC”), who will partner to address the request.  To locate the name of the Employee Relations Consultant for the department or unit, please visit the Employee Relations directory. 

• Frequently Asked Questions
  • What is a reasonable workplace accommodation?
    • A reasonable workplace accommodation is a modification or adjustment to an employee’s work or environment that allows qualified employees who are pregnant or have a pregnancy-related medical condition, to perform the essential functions of their job or enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment
  • What are some examples of pregnancy accommodations for employees?
    • Examples include:
      • more frequent or longer bathroom breaks
      • breaks to express breast milk
      • access to a private location other than a bathroom for the expression of breast milk
      • acquisition or modification of equipment or access to or modification of employee seating
      • a temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position
      • assistance with manual labor
      • job restructuring
      • modified work schedule
      • light duty assignments
      • leave to recover from childbirth
    • This is not an exhaustive list. Reasonable accommodations are determined by the specific facts of each request and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
  • How does an employee request a pregnancy accommodation?
    • Employees should submit a written accommodation request to their supervisor or ERC with as much notice as possible.  The request should include: the reason for the request, e.g., pregnancy, childbirth, or lactation; suggested accommodation; and anticipated length of time the accommodation will be necessary.
    • NOTE:  Employees with a disability related to pregnancy or childbirth who need workplace accommodations should contact their Employee Relations Consultant, who will process the request in accordance with the Procedures for Employees with Disabilities to Request Workplace Accommodations.
  • What happens after an employee submits and accommodation request?
    • After receiving a request, the supervisor, in consultation with the ER Consultant, will promptly evaluate the request and engage in the interactive process, which is a series of communications to determine appropriate reasonable accommodation.
      • Additional information: Employee Relations may contact the employee for additional information or to clarify limitations.   
      • Granting the request: At the end of the interactive process, the supervisor will notify the employee if the request has been granted. 
      • Denying a request:  If the supervisor believes the specific requested accommodation is not reasonable, creates an undue hardship, or that alternative accommodations are not available, the supervisor is required to consult with various offices, such as Employee Relations and EOCR, before denying the accommodation.  Undue Hardship is based on an individualized assessment of current circumstances that show that a specific reasonable accommodation would cause significant difficulty or expense.  The manager will also consider alternative accommodations. 
      • Alternative accommodations: If after engaging in the interactive process, the supervisor believes the request is not reasonable or imposes an undue hardship, the supervisor will consider alternative accommodations and discuss the alternatives with the employee.
  • What if I received an accommodation but it is not effective?
    • The employee must notify their supervisor or ERC as soon as possible, so that the employee, supervisor, and ERC can consider alternative accommodations.

The University Prenatal and Postnatal Well-being Resources webpage summarizes the University’s obligation to provide a reasonable amount of time for breaks and a private space for lactation breaks, as well as provides a list of lactation room locations on Grounds (academic buildings and UVA Health). 

The UVA Child Development Center offer services for children from infancy through pre-kindergarten. They are available to faculty, staff, and students for a weekly fee but enrollment is limited and there is typically a waiting list. Anyone anticipating the arrival of a child should contact the centers as early as possible to inquire about enrollment and complete a wait list application.

• UVA Policy HRM-012-02: Paid Parental Leave for University Staff: This policy describes eligibility, procedures for taking leave, and other matters related to parental leave, e.g., documentation requirements, coordination with other types of leave, and reinstatement issues. 
• UVA Policy HRM-038: Faculty Leaves: This policy provides eligibility, procedures for taking leave, and other matters related to paid parental leave for Academic Division faculty members.
• UVA Policy HRM-048: Paid Parental Leave for Classified Staff: This policy provides similar information for Classified Staff within the Academic Division (salaried, non-faculty employees hired prior to July 1, 2006, and subject to the Virginia Personnel Act).
• UVA Policy HRM-033: Employment of Professional Research Staff: This policy provides information about parental leave for professional research staff (professional staff principally engaged in research and appointed to limited terms of employment at the University, e.g.,  postdoctoral research associates, research scientists, senior scientists, and principal scientists). See Section 4(B) Leave for Personal Reasons. 

Planning for Becoming a Parent: this page includes information about benefits and leave options available to new or expectant parents as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

Planning for Parental Leave: A Guide to Faculty Policies at the University of Virginia: this page provides information about leave (e.g., parental and short-term disability), childcare, temporary parking, lactation room locations, and more.

• The Faculty and Employee Assistance Program (“FEAP”) offers assessment, brief counseling, and follow-up at no cost for faculty and staff member and their families, as well as referrals to community resources, to assist with personal and/or work-related problems.
• The UVA Ombuds acts a trusted navigator for current faculty, staff, and students seeking guidance, information, insight, and potential options to overcome an existing conflict or concern. The UVA Ombuds seeks to empower individuals to proactively address their conflict and concerns in a positive, constructive method while assisting in an impartial, independent, informal, and confidential manner. 
• The Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center offers confidential counseling to UVA students, faculty, and staff member of all genders, as well as members of the Charlottesville community, to assist with a wide of range of personal or academic concerns. 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

• What You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act from the EEOC
• Tips for Asking for Reasonable Accommodations infographic from the EEOC

Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor