Under terms of the settlement, 23 female corrections officers will receive a total of $972,000 in payment, as well as other non-monetary relief, the Justice Department said in a release.

The settlement, reached in partnership with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, was approved Tuesday in a U.S. District court in New York.

In its complaint, the Justice Department said the state department discriminated against the women by determining female employees having babies should be transferred from workers' compensation leave benefit status -- for which they were otherwise considered eligible -- to maternity leave status, which has a lower level of benefits.

"Discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace is a violation of their civil rights," said Michael Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "We are pleased that DOCS has agreed to implement comprehensive measures to ensure that its employees who give birth are treated equally."