Washington AG Sues Providence Over “Cruel” Treatment of Pregnant & Nursing Employees

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit against Providence Health & Services on May 13, 2026, accusing the state’s largest healthcare system of repeatedly denying pregnant and nursing employees, many of them nurses, the workplace accommodations required under Washington law.

The suit, filed in King County Superior Court, alleges that Providence mishandled more than 300 accommodation requests dating back to 2021, including asks for private space to pump breast milk, time for prenatal appointments, lifting limits, and breaks to sit during long shifts. The AG’s office also alleges Providence retaliated against employees who requested accommodations by terminating them, forcing them onto leave, or assigning them more difficult duties.

“Taking commonsense steps to keep pregnant and nursing employees and their babies safe and healthy isn’t optional, it’s the law,” Brown said in a statement announcing the suit.

According to the AG’s complaint, Providence employees often waited up to a month for any response after requesting an accommodation. In the meantime, they were expected to keep working without modifications, even in roles that required prolonged standing, heavy lifting, or other tasks that posed risks to a pregnancy.

Washington law requires employers to allow more frequent sitting, limits on lifting to 17 pounds or less, and food and drink for pregnant and nursing staff. The AG says Providence violated each of these requirements. The complaint also alleges Providence routinely denied requests without trying to show that an accommodation would be significantly difficult or expensive, and that it repeatedly required employees to produce a doctor’s note before considering a request, a practice the state says is barred under the Healthy Starts Act.

“Some of the accommodations denied to Providence employees were bitterly ironic. Thousands of pregnant patients go to Providence facilities for prenatal visits that keep them and their pregnancies safe, but Providence denied its employees the opportunity to attend their own prenatal visits,” Brown said.

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Providence’s Size and Response

Providence is the largest healthcare provider in Washington, operating more than 35 hospitals across the state. The system reported $1.9 billion in net assets in 2024 and nearly $10 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the AG’s complaint.

In a statement, Providence said it is committed to supporting caregiver health and workplace accommodations and is disappointed by the state’s focus on litigation rather than collaborative resolution. The AG’s office says it tried to resolve the matter before filing, but those discussions were unsuccessful.

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), which represents nurses at several Providence facilities, said it “wholeheartedly supports” the lawsuit. The union cited recurring complaints from members, including breastfeeding nurses who were “forced to pump in a staff bathroom” and others who faced shaming for taking pumping breaks.

The case puts a spotlight on protections many nurses may not realize they have. The Healthy Starts Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination entitle pregnant and nursing employees in Washington to a range of accommodations, including limits on lifting, more frequent breaks, food and drink access, prenatal appointment flexibility, and private space to pump breast milk. Employers cannot demand a doctor’s note before granting these basic accommodations.

Brown’s office is asking current and former Providence workers who believe they were denied accommodations or retaliated against to contact the AG at ProvidencePregnancyLawsuit@atg.wa.gov or (833) 660-4877. The allegations have not been proven in court. The lawsuit seeks to bar Providence from continuing the alleged practices and to recover damages for affected employees.

🤔 Have you ever had to fight your employer for a pumping break, prenatal visit, or pregnancy accommodation? Tell us what happened in the comments.

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