By: Kyle Emshwiller
Two women are suing their former employer, Parx Casino, for being demoted after they revealed they were pregnant. The women filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2009 and are now taking their case to federal court, according to Philly.com.
The Philadelphia casino has a strict weight policy. According to reports, male and female servers, called Park Men and Parkettes, can’t gain or lose more than 7 percent in body weight, based on their weight at the time of hiring.
The casino argues that Parkettes and Park Men are entertainers, a part of the casino’s brand, which is why the weight policy is enforced.
In addition, it was company policy to transfer pregnant cocktail servers once their Parkettes uniforms no longer fit. The transfers were usually to nontip earning positions, which the women in the case considered a demotion.
In 2009, the EEOC ruled that Parx had discriminated against the pregnant women. (Note: Since then, a company spokesperson said that the casino now offers maternity costumes instead of transferring pregnant servers.)
The women have now filed a federal discrimination lawsuit.