Photography museum Fotografiska is slated to settle a lawsuit accusing managers of discriminating against a pregnant worker — including by scolding her for sitting during her shift and bringing up her decision not to get an abortion. Supervisors at the Swedish museum’s outpost in Gramercy Park — which is set to close its doors in late September — allegedly violated New York City human rights law and state labor law with their shocking treatment of the Sheepshead Bay woman, the lawsuit alleges. The ex-employee, who was hired in April 2022 to provide customer service, ticket sales and tours at the Park Avenue museum, notified her managers about her pregnancy status and intentions to get an abortion about a month into her new role, according to the Manhattan Supreme Court suit from March.
However, the next month, she told her managers she decided to continue with the pregnancy. The difficulties began when, after a break during a shift in May 2022, the woman was approached by a manager who “aggressively reprimanded” her for sitting during work hours, despite the worker already having asked for permission to sit, the lawsuit reads. The manager also said the worker was “asking too much” and taking advantage of her managers’ kindness by asking to be sitting as other employees would follow her lead, the lawsuit contends.
The worker had initially asked to sit that day due to feeling unwell from her pregnancy, the lawsuit added. The same manager then proceeded to make.
