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The ability to pump breast milk in the workplace is protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In 2010, the Break Time for Nursing Mother Act was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and amended the FLSA to include break time and space requirements to pump breast milk at work. The […]
Breast milk can be incredibly important for a baby’s health, making the ability to express milk while at work a top priority for new mothers. The PUMP Act provides nursing mothers the right to take breaks and to have a place to express milk during the workday. This right extends for one year after the birth […]
The recently enacted Consolidation Appropriations Act of 2023 (H.R. 2617) included two provisions for pregnant and nursing mothers.
As we move toward sharing space at work again, employers often ask us: how can we support our baby-feeding employees? The answer: employers who establish breastfeeding-supportive climates offer comprehensive plans that include policy, procedure, culture of belonging, access to experts, encouragement, community and facilities. In this piece, we’ll examine facilities and identify ways to elevate […]
Women who reenter the workforce after giving birth have a lot on their minds: catching up from maternity leave, making sure they situate their babies in daycare or with a childcare provider, and much more. For some working moms, the last thing on their minds is career growth, yet despite this, almost one-third of new […]
The message is clear: Employers cannot treat breastfeeding mothers differently in the workplace.
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), federal law required employers with more than 50 employees to provide breastfeeding employees a private location, other than a toilet stall, where they can express breast milk in privacy. And, of course, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) has prohibited discrimination “on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, […]
By Kelly Smith-Haley, JD, Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP A recent case from a federal court judge in Chicago provides a useful overview of certain statutes that rarely make headlines but nevertheless set the bar for nursing mothers. So dust off the breast pump, spruce up the office lactation room, and settle in for […]
by Jodi R. Bohr Although employers’ obligation to provide breaks for nursing mothers is not new (it took effect with the March 23, 2010, signing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)), I’ve recently been presented with many questions about what the law requires. From the questions, I’ve realized two things: (1) Employers still do not […]
by Kate DeForest A lesser-known provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers that are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide a private area for mothers to nurse or express breast milk during the workday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making the requirement known with […]