{"id":357817,"date":"2016-04-04T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/break-time-for-nursing-mothers-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-04-02T14:45:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T19:45:24","slug":"break-time-for-nursing-mothers-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/wages-and-benefits\/break-time-for-nursing-mothers-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Break Time Laws for Nursing Mothers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Break Time Laws for Nursing Mothers<\/h1>\n
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\n By Lisa Burden, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Break time laws for nursing mothers such as the federal PUMP Act ensure that employers provide reasonable break time and a private space for expressing milk. Employers must offer a non-bathroom space shielded from view and intrusion, and employees must be completely relieved from duties during breaks. This law applies to both onsite and remote workers, emphasizing the importance of supporting nursing mothers in maintaining both their jobs and their health needs.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

The federal government and many U.S. states and territories have acknowledged the vital role of breastfeeding in the health and well-being of a mother and her child. In response to the challenges nursing mothers face at work, these jurisdictions have enacted laws that provide break time for nursing mothers.<\/p>\r\n

This article explains the PUMP Act and other employment laws that are essential for nursing mothers. If your employer refuses to provide the proper break time or environment, consider speaking with a local employment law attorney<\/a>. They can guide you through your options and help you assert your rights.<\/p>\r\n

Federal Protections for Nursing Mothers<\/h2>\r\n

One of the most recent additions to federal law protections for breastfeeding employees is the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers<\/a> (PUMP) Act. The law requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private place to express milk for a nursing child for one year after the child’s birth.<\/p>\r\n

President Joe Biden signed the PUMP Act into law in December 2022. The federal statute amended the Fair Labor Standards Act<\/a> (FLSA). The FLSA is an important workplace and employment law.<\/p>\r\n

Nursing mothers who were hourly workers and entitled to the FLSA’s protections have had the right to workplace breastfeeding protections since 2010. However, the FLSA protection does not cover salaried workers<\/a>. This meant that around nine million working women did not have this workplace support under federal law.<\/p>\r\n

The new lactation accommodations under the PUMP Act extended existing protections for breastfeeding mothers, extending break time for breastfeeding to salaried workers.<\/p>\r\n

PUMP Act Break and Space Requirements<\/h2>\r\n

Under the FLSA, as amended by the PUMP Act<\/a>, employers must provide nursing employees:<\/p>\r\n