Pregnant employees have it on Lucent

SAN FRANCISCO: A federal civil rights agency sued Lucent Technologies Inc., charging the telecom equipment maker had discriminated in its pension policy against women workers who took pregnancy leave.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity said it filed its lawsuit against Lucent because it gave women workers who took pregnancy leave less credit toward calculating their pensions compared with employees who take disability leave for reasons other than pregnancy.

The agency said Lucent had failed to recalculate its pension benefits, in place under its predecessor companies, to conform with a 1979 federal law. The agency's lawsuit applies to Lucent employees who had been with the company and its predecessor companies prior to 1979.

"We're looking to restore the pension benefits to the women," said Joan Ehrlich, the agency's district director for Northern California. "The sole reason they lost them was to give birth or recover from giving birth."

Lucent spokesman Bill Price said the Murray Hill, New Jersey based company declined to comment on the discrimination lawsuit filed in federal district court in Los Angeles.