EEOC Awarded $118,483 Judgment against Receivable Management for Pregnancy Discrimination

Hackensack Firm Rescinded a Promotion After Learning That Worker Was Pregnant, Federal Agency Charged

NEWARK, N.J. - A federal judge has entered a default judgment of $118,483 against a Hackensack debt collection firm in a pregnancy discrimination case brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Receivable Management, doing business as Kramer and Associates, rescinded its offer to promote a female employee after she announced that she was pregnant. The employee was told that she was not going to be promoted because the owners of the company did not think that a pregnant woman could handle the stress or the long hours of a management position.

Basing employment decisions on an employee's pregnancy violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. The EEOC filed suit in 2015 (EEOC v. Receivable Management, Inc., d/b/a Kramer and Associates, Case No. 2:15-cv-01997-SDW-SCM) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

"Making employment decisions based on the assumption that pregnancy somehow diminishes a woman's ability to perform her job is unacceptable," said EEOC Senior Trial Attorney Rosemary DiSavino.

Kevin Berry, the EEOC's New York District director, added, "This case illustrates the stereotypes and biases that pregnant women face in the workplace all too often."

The New York District Office of the EEOC is responsible for processing discrimination charges, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in New York, northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.