Having a child can be a joyful time but if you are the victim of pregnancy discrimination, your joy could be dimmed. While employers are not supposed to discriminate against pregnant women, thousands of claims are filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each year. Under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers cannot refuse to hire a woman because she is pregnant. Any leave the woman takes for the birth of her child must be treated the same as leave for any other partially disabled employee. Pregnancy disability claims are investigated by the EEOC, which will try to resolve the issue between the employee and the employer. If the issue cannot be resolved, the EEOC may issue the employer a "right to sue." This allows the employee to sue in federal court. If she wins, she may be subject to reinstatement and back pay. The employer could be fined.