The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) exceeded its authority by requiring employers to accommodate workers seeking elective abortions, a Louisiana judge ruled Monday, just hours before the new federal rule was to take effect nationwide.

The decision grants a temporary reprieve to employers and religious organisations in Louisiana and Mississippi as the states’ attorneys general challenge the EEOC’s rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The rule was slated to go into effect today.