Lactation Room Requirements For Employers

About the law the patient protection and affordable care act p l.

Lactation room requirements for employers.

Lactation room requirements. The room or location may include the place where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the requirements of this section. Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk section 7 of the flsa employers are also required to provide a place other than a bathroom that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public. Typically a new mom returning to work with an infant at home needs to express breast milk two or three times in every eight hour period of the day.

If there are no breastfeeding employees the employer does not need to maintain a space. As long as the space is available each time you need it the employer is meeting the requirements of the law. 111 148 known as the affordable care act amended section 7 of the fair labor standards act flsa to require employers to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk. Such an employer must allow a reasonable amount of break time for an employee to express break milk as often as the employee.

What employers need to know an examination of existing federal new york state and new york city policies regarding lactation rooms in the workplace with a. The federal break time for nursing mothers law requires employers covered by the fair labor standards act flsa to provide basic accommodations for breastfeeding mothers at work. An employer is not required to provide an employee break time for purposes of lactating if to do so would seriously disrupt the operations of the employer. These accommodations include time for women to express milk and a private space that is not a bathroom each time they need to pump.

Benefits include increased workplace diversity improved children s health reduced absenteeism and increased productivity. In that case the employer could instead give you access to a space normally used for other things like a manager s office or storage area. Or many years lactation rooms have been recognized as a building amenity with advantages for both employer and employee. Additionally employers must give breastfeeding mothers reasonable breaks from their workday in order to travel to the lactation room and take the time needed to pump milk.