As 1999 comes to a close, women comprise nearly 50 percent of the workforce, and economists predict that they will be the majority by the end of 2000. In the medical imaging field, the American Association of Women Radiologists (AAWR) boasts 1,866 members; the American Society of Radiologic Technologists counts 62,607 women among its 80,000 members.
As a result, one issue that many practices will have to address is accommodating pregnant employees. According to a study commissioned by the Families and Work Institute, the tail end of the 1990s saw a significant increase in the number of working parents with children ages 3 and younger, and that trend will continue.
Fortunately for imaging practices, there are a number of sources for legal, social, and health-related information on pregnancy in the workplace.
Where to start 
A solid starting point is the National Partnership for Women and Families home page, which offers a synopsis of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Women's Bureau has similar summary information. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act, can be viewed in full at the Department of Labor site.
Workplace safety
For general information on workplace safety, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lists OSHA standards and requirements. Other safety sites include the National Safety Council of America and the International Internet Safety Resource.
Workplace relations
How pregnancy affects employer-employee relations is explored at the Families and Work Institute. The site also has an executive summary of the institute's 1997 report, Ahead of the Curve: Why America's Leading Employers Are Addressing the Needs of New and Expectant Parents.
A couple of sites accept questions about workplace relations: Employer-Employee.comand the National Organization of Single Mothers.
The "Workplace" section of the Advancing Women Web site tracks trends in what it calls "female-friendly" businesses.
Women's health
For general women's health information, the American Medical Women's Association has selected chapters from the AMWA's Women's Complete Handbook. Another resource, 9to5, National Association of Working Women offers links to a number of sites covering reproductive health.
Radiation considerations
For health information focused on radiology, academic journals are the most useful. In the July-August issue of Radiographics (1999; 19(4):1037-1044), researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine studied safety considerations for diagnostic radiology personnel and suggested that strict scatter radiation dose limits should be enforced for pregnant employees.
The September 1998 issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine looks at "Health of children born to medical radiographers" (1998 Sept;55(9):647-648). A 1993 survey conducted by the AAWR on pregnancy and maternity policies in radiology residencies can be found in Academic Radiology (1995 Sept;2(9):804-806).
The American Journal of Law & Medicine looked at "Fetal Protection and potential liability: judicial application of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the disparate impact theory" (1985;11(3):369-390). The article focuses on how businesses can implement "fetal vulnerability programs" to protect both the employee and the practice.
Radiology Management reviewed policies for pregnant radiology employees (1983 March;5(2):36-37) and offered insight on the rights of expectant mothers.
Books on workplace pregnancy
Finally, there are books that explore the issue of pregnancy in the workplace: Reproductive Hazards in the Workplace: Mending Jobs, Managing Pregnancies by Regina H. Kenen (1996: Harrington Park Press, Harrington Park, NJ); Your Pregnancy After 30 by obstetrician Glade B. Curtis, MD, and Judith Schuler (1996: Fisher Books, Tucson, AZ); and She Works/He Works: How Two-Income Families are Happy, Healthy and Thriving (1998: Harvard University, Boston, MA).
