These women were laid off while on maternity leave. Yes, it's legal, and probably more common than you thought

Women have been laid off while on maternity leave in the United States. Federal law does not prohibit such layoffs if the employer can demonstrate the decision was made for legitimate business reasons unrelated to the employee's leave status. The legality of maternity leave layoffs depends on whether the employer followed required notice procedures and whether termination decisions predate the leave announcement. Employment lawyers report such layoffs occur regularly across industries, though precise frequency is not publicly tracked.

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