Porto’s Bakery, Inc. recently came under fire in a lawsuit filed by a former employee over allegations of pregnancy and gender discrimination.

A former employee for Porto’s Bakery, Inc. is suing the company over claims that she was wrongfully terminated in 2020 when she announced she was pregnant. The termination came despite the fact that the woman, Kimberly Flores, has a “stellar work record that earned her praise from fellow workers and management prior to becoming an expectant mother.”

The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and claims the company is guilty of pregnancy and gender discrimination. Additionally, the company failed “to prevent discrimination and harassment” and violated the state Labor Code. As a result, Flores is seeking unspecified damages.

What happened, though? For starters, Flores was hired back in December 2019 as a sales associate and server. She was responsible for “greeting customers, boxing and bagging purchased items, assisting co-workers and performing other work required by her supervisors,” according to the suit. 

During her time working at Porto’s, Flores never received a negative work evaluation and her “job performance was never criticized during her employment prior to her pregnancy and many fellow employees, as well as managers, commended her for her work,” court papers note.

Then, in February 2020, Flores left work after she began bleeding and sought medical treatment. According to the suit, “her doctor issued work restrictions that disallowed her from lifting more than 10 pounds, forbade her from doing any strenuous exercise or prolonged sitting or standing and directed that she have frequent rest periods.”

When she informed Porto’s management of her pregnancy, she was transferred to the company call center. However, she eventually fell ill due to her pregnancy and informed her supervisors. However, she began to notice a change in “management’s attitude toward her,” even though she never had attendance or job performance issues. The suit states:

“(Porto’s) management team grew weary of (Flores’) requests and began a campaign to terminate (her) employment.”

Eventually, Flores’ hours were cut and her schedule was changed “to times they knew she could not work.” On top of that, management “refused to provide her with meal and rest breaks, then fired her in April 2020,” the suit states.

When commenting on the suit, Flores said she believes she was discriminated against and wrongfully terminated because of her pregnancy, gender, medical condition, and requests for accommodations. Additionally, she argues that she was “denied overtime pay and is entitled to receive her compensation, along with interest and attorneys’ fees.”

Sources:

Porto’s Bakery Worker Sues For Pregnancy Discrimination

Porto’s Bakery Faces Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit