Google Sued For Allegedly Firing Pregnant Software Engineer Who Took FMLA Leave

A former software engineer has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging she was fired after taking FMLA leave during her second pregnancy.

A former software engineer has filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging she was fired after taking FMLA leave during her pregnancy.

In Yao v. Google LLC, filed Feb. 18, the plaintiff alleges a former manager engaged in unlawful discrimination based on sex, pregnancy, and disability, HR Drive reported. According to the complaint, Google terminated her after she took leave for two pregnancies, in violation of state and federal law.

In the suit, the plaintiff describes how she was forced to end her first pregnancy due to a medical complication and took five days of sick leave followed by four weeks of bereavement leave. When she returned, she alleges her supervisor began giving her poor performance reviews despite meeting project deadlines, setting what she described as “unachievable” goals, and subjecting her to heightened criticism, even though she had no prior performance issues and continued fulfilling her work responsibilities.

The plaintiff alleges that when she questioned her negative reviews, her manager blamed her time off, citing “slow velocity” and project delays. Less than a year later, she became pregnant again and informed her supervisor that the pregnancy would likely be high-risk. After a fall, her doctor recommended that she take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

She claims that once she disclosed the pregnancy, her manager imposed increasingly strict weekly planning requirements and added new milestones despite her meeting expectations. According to the lawsuit, she was fired just one day after beginning her leave.

The plaintiff claims her high-risk pregnancy significantly limited major life activities and normal bodily functions, making it a disability under Washington state’s anti-discrimination law. She also alleges Google failed to provide reasonable accommodations and unlawfully interfered with her right to take FMLA leave during her second pregnancy.

The lawsuit adds to past pregnancy discrimination claims against Google, including a 2019 complaint from a former employee who alleged bias after maternity leave.

Cases like this remain a major focus for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which reached several settlements with employers last year over alleged pregnancy-related discrimination.