Two pregnant employees at a Fred Meyer store in Vancouver, Washington were denied accommodations and ultimately fired after raising concerns about pregnancy-related health issues, according to a federal lawsuit filed against the retail chain. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges the terminations violated the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a federal law requiring employers to work with pregnant workers rather than push them out.
The lawsuit, filed September 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington under docket number 3:26-cv-06193, follows mandatory pre-litigation conciliation efforts the EEOC must attempt before suing an employer, according to the EEOC. As KGW reports, the agency alleges Fred Meyer discriminated against two pregnant employees at the Vancouver store by denying their accommodation requests and retaliating against them. The allegations have not been proven in court.
What the First Employee Says She Faced
According to the lawsuit, the first employee requested an accommodation in July 2023 for severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Fred Meyer reduced her hours and disciplined her over pregnancy-related absences rather than granting relief, the agency's filing claims, as reported by the station.
The employee also sought consideration for an open position in another department that would have let her reach a restroom more quickly when she felt nauseated, per the lawsuit. Fred Meyer did not consider her for that position, the EEOC alleges, and fired her in October 2023 — a termination the agency says was based on her pregnancy-related absences and accommodation requests.
Second Worker Fired Shortly After Seeking Help
A second pregnant employee at the same store requested an accommodation for morning sickness in September 2023, according to the lawsuit. Fred Meyer did not address that request, the agency alleges, and instead disciplined her before terminating her shortly after she asked for help.
EEOC Seattle Field Office Director Elizabeth Cannon said employers should work with pregnant employees to determine whether accommodations can allow them to remain at work, per the station's report. Cannon has noted that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act adopts the “interactive process” standard established under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to negotiate accommodations directly rather than ignore medical notes or accommodation requests, according to the EEOC.
Brian Hong, a senior trial attorney for the EEOC, said the agency would enforce protections for pregnant employees, the same account notes. A Fred Meyer spokesperson said the company had no comment because the matter involves active litigation, according to the outlet's report.
Overlapping State and Federal Protections
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act took effect on June 27, 2023, with the EEOC's detailed final regulations governing employer compliance taking effect June 18, 2024, per the EEOC. Unlike the Family and Medical Leave Act, the law covers qualified employees immediately upon hire without requiring a minimum length of service, provided the employer has 15 or more workers.
Washington workers also have state-level protections under the Healthy Starts Act, enacted in 2017, which requires employers with 15 or more workers to grant basic accommodations such as rest breaks, seating, and food or water access without demanding medical notes, according to the Washington State Legislature. The federal pregnancy law explicitly does not preempt state or local regulations that offer equal or greater protections, meaning state and federal remedies can operate side by side.
A Chain With Deep Roots in the Pacific Northwest
Fred Meyer is a subsidiary of Kroger and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, where the chain was founded in 1922 before Kroger's 1998 acquisition. As of September 2026, Fred Meyer operates 132 hypermarket stores across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, with 55 of those locations in Washington state, according to ScrapeHero. The company employed approximately 9,000 workers across the Portland–Vancouver metro area in 2024, per KGW's separate business coverage.
The Vancouver case lands amid broader 2026 litigation over pregnancy accommodation violations under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, including a nationwide Amazon lawsuit brought by four former employees. Hoodline has previously covered a similar Amazon suit and reported on Roundy's grocery case. It remains to be seen whether Fred Meyer will contest the factual allegations or whether other former employees at the Vancouver store or elsewhere in the 132-store chain will come forward.
