<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 20-1 Definitions.">
  <section prefix="§" num="20-1" heading="Definitions.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Adverse action.">“Adverse action” means an action an employer takes or refuses to take in order to retaliate or discriminate against a person for exercising a right or alleging a violation under this subtitle.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Applicant.">“Applicant” means an individual applying to work for an employer in Baltimore City.</para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Commission.">“Commission” means the Baltimore Community Relations Commission.</para>
    <para num="(e)" heading="Eligible individual.">“Eligible individual” means an employee or applicant who is currently pregnant, is recovering from a pregnancy, including a pregnancy ending in stillbirth or miscarriage, or is recovering from a related condition.</para>
    <para num="(f)" heading="Employee.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">“Employee” means any individual who works for an employer in Baltimore City.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Exclusions.">“Employee” does not include:<para num="(i)">an individual engaged in the activities of an educational, charitable, religious, or other nonprofit organization where the services rendered to that organization are on a voluntary basis or in return for charitable aid conferred on the individual; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">an individual who is employed by the individual’s parent, spouse, or child.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(g)" heading="Employer.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">“Employer” means any individual or organization engaged in any business in the City of Baltimore that employs 2 or more full-time employees.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Exclusions.">“Employer” does not include:<para num="(i)">the federal government or any unit thereof; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the State government or any unit thereof.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(h)" heading="Reasonable accommodation.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">“Reasonable accommodation” means any practice or allowance meant to ease the work environment for an employee who is pregnant, recovering from pregnancy, or has a related condition.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Inclusions.">“Reasonable Accommodation” includes:<para num="(i)">offering an eligible individual more frequent or longer breaks;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">acquiring or modifying accessible equipment or seating;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">temporarily transferring an eligible individual to a less strenuous or hazardous position, if available, with return to the current position after pregnancy or recovery;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">restructuring of an eligible individual’s job;</para>
        <para num="(v)">assigning an eligible individual light duty;</para>
        <para num="(vi)">providing an eligible individual with assistance with manual labor; or</para>
        <para num="(vii)">allowing an eligible individual to take a modified work schedule.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(3)" heading="Exclusions.">“Reasonable accommodation” does not include:<para num="(i)">hiring a new employee that an employer would not otherwise have hired;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">discharging an employee;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">transferring an employee with more seniority than a pregnant or recovering employee;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">promoting an employee who is not qualified to perform a new job;</para>
        <para num="(v)">creating a new position for an eligible individual; or</para>
        <para num="(vi)">providing an eligible individual leave beyond the amount that is provided to similarly situated employees.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(i)" heading="Undue hardship.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">“Undue hardship” means an action required to provide a requested accommodation that creates a significant difficulty or expense for an employer.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Factors.">When an employer or the Commission is determining undue hardship, the following factors may be considered:<para num="(i)">the nature and cost of an accommodation;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the overall financial resources of an employer;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">the overall size of an employer’s organization, with respect to the number of employees and number, type, and location of an employer’s available facilities;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">an accommodation’s effect on an employer’s expenses, resources, or operations; and</para>
        <para num="(v)">whether a provision of similar accommodations has been made to another employee.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History" />
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
