Starting on Wednesday, breastfeeding employees are entitled to 30 minutes of paid break time to pump milk at work under a new state law.
The law states that employees are allowed to take lactation breaks when needed for up to three years after childbirth. It applies to all public and private employees.
“As New York’s first mom governor, I am fighting every day to give working parents the protections they need to keep their families strong and healthy,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
Previously, employees were only entitled to unpaid lactation breaks. The new law was written into the state budget, which passed in April. According to state regulations, employees must be informed of their breastfeeding rights when they are hired and annually thereafter, as well as when they return from parental leave.
Workers are responsible for informing their employers of their plans to take lactation breaks, in writing and preferably when they first return from parental leave, the regulations state. The breaks are considered distinct from meal and break time, and employers cannot require workers to stay late because they spent time expressing milk.
“By providing paid break time for breast milk expression, we are not only supporting parents and their babies but also reinforcing the importance of family-friendly workplace policies,” New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said in a statement.
New York also requires workplaces to provide designated lactation spaces, ideally private rooms with a table and chair. Bathrooms do not count to meet this requirement.
