Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1997 | 8:07 a.m.
AS more and more women entered the work force, they were getting jobs in fields considered hazardous or dangerous that typically were thought of as "men's work."
The two most visible ones are the armed services and police work.
The debate on whether women can physically handle the requirements of those jobs, especially in the armed services, continues.
The only thing men can't do that women can, the debaters point out, is bear children.
And that difference raises another set of concerns: If a woman is qualified to perform "hazardous duty" such as police work or in combat, can she perform it equally well while she's pregnant? How should we accommodate pregnant women in such jobs?
A Clark County School District police officer, who is 4 1/2 months pregnant, says she is being forced to take unpaid leave from her job even though her doctor says she is able to work.
Because she can't carry a PR-24 billy club, she has asked to be reassigned to a light-duty job.
The school district, however, says it doesn't have light-duty assignment, and told her she must go on family medical leave, which would be unpaid.
Metro Police's policy, we're told, gives a pregnant employee a choice to take light-duty assignment and the department will accommodate her wherever it's reasonable.
We certainly do not suggest -- or approve of -- a department padding its payroll with people who don't have enough to do. She should be a productive employee, not a drain on the budget.
But the school district would do well to follow the guidelines of Metro Police as they pertain to pregnant employees.
As long as women are being hired in these positions, it's reasonable to assume that some will become pregnant. There should be an "enlightened" policy in place to deal with those situations. That should include not only what other duties could be performed, but what reasonable efforts should be made to find a replacement.
The school district policy does take into consideration an employee who is injured on the job and seeks reassignment. There should be some consideration for pregnancy.
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