Section 4.04.310 Unfair or discriminatory employment practices.

a. Person to refuse to hire, accept, register, classify, or refer for employment, to discharge any employee, or to otherwise discriminate in employment against any applicant for employment or any employee because of the age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or membership in any protected class defined by the Iowa Civil Rights Act and/or the Federal Civil Rights Act of such applicant or employee, unless based upon the nature of the occupation. If a person with a disability is qualified to perform a particular occupation, by reason of training or experience, the nature of that occupation shall not be the basis for exception to the unfair or discriminating practices prohibited by this subsection.

b. Labor organization or the employees, agents, or members thereof to refuse to admit to membership any applicant, to expel any member, or to otherwise discriminate against any applicant for membership or any member in the privileges, rights, or benefits of such membership because of the age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or membership in any protected class defined by the Iowa Civil Rights Act and/or the Federal Civil Rights Act of such applicant or member.

c. Employer, employment agency, labor organization, or the employees, agents, or members thereof to directly or indirectly advertise or in any other manner indicate or publicize that individuals of any particular age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or members of any protected class defined by the Iowa Civil Rights Act and/or the Federal Civil Rights Act are unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable, or not solicited for employment or membership unless based on the nature of the occupation. If a person with a disability is qualified to perform a particular occupation by reason of training or experience, the nature of that occupation shall not be the basis for exception to the unfair or discriminating practices prohibited by this subsection.

An employer, employment agency, or their employees, servants, or agents may offer employment or advertise for employment to only persons with disabilities, when other applicants have available to them other employment compatible with their ability which would not be available to persons with disabilities because of their disabilities. Any such employment or offer of employment shall not discriminate among persons with disabilities on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin or membership in any protected class as defined by the Iowa Civil Rights Act and/or the Federal Civil Rights Act.

d. Person to solicit or require as a condition of employment of any employee or prospective employee a test for the presence of the antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus or to affect the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment or terminate the employment of any employee solely as a result of the employee obtaining a test for the presence of the antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus. An agreement between an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or their employees, agents, or members and an employee or prospective employee concerning employment, pay, or benefits to an employee or prospective employee in return for taking a test for the presence of the antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus, is prohibited. The prohibitions of this paragraph do not apply if the state epidemiologist determines and the director of public health declares through the utilization of guidelines established by the center for disease control of the United States department of health and human services, that a person with a condition related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome poses a significant risk of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus to other persons in a specific occupation.

b. Disabilities caused or contributed to by the employee's pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and recovery therefrom are, for all job-related purposes, temporary disabilities and shall be treated as such under any health or temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan available in connection with employment. Written and unwritten employment policies and practices involving matters such as the commencement and duration of leave, the availability of extensions, the accrual of seniority, and other benefits and privileges, reinstatement, and payment under any health or temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan, formal or informal, shall be applied to a disability due to the employee's pregnancy or giving birth, on the same terms and conditions as they are applied to other temporary disabilities.

c. Disabilities caused or contributed to by legal abortion and recovery therefrom are, for all job-related purposes, temporary disabilities and shall be treated as such under any temporary disability or sick leave plan available in connection with employment. Written and unwritten employment policies and practices involving matters such as the commencement and duration of leave, the availability of extensions, the accrual of seniority, and other benefits and privileges, reinstatement, and payment under any temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan, formal or informal, shall be applied to a disability due to legal abortion on the same terms and conditions as they are applied to other temporary disabilities. The employer may elect to exclude health insurance coverage for abortion from a plan provided by the employer, except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or where medical complications have arisen from an abortion.

e. Where a leave is not available or a sufficient leave is not available under any health or temporary disability insurance or sick leave plan available in connection with employment, the employer of the pregnant employee shall not refuse to grant to the employee who is disabled by the pregnancy a leave of absence if the leave of absence is for the period that the employee is disabled because of the employee's pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, or for eight weeks, whichever is less. However, the employee must provide timely notice of the period of leave requested and the employer must approve any change in the period requested before the change is effective. Before granting the leave of absence, the employer may require that the employee's disability resulting from pregnancy be verified by medical certification stating that the employee is not able to reasonably perform the duties of employment.