Supporting Nursing Mothers at Work is Now Law
The Affordable Care Act, signed into law in March 2010, amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require employers to provide a reasonable break time and a sanitary, private place for nonexempt nursing mothers to pump milk at work. Corporate Voices for Working Families has re-launched this online workplace lactation toolkit to give employers high-quality resources and tools to comply with this new federal requirement, and to help them establish successful workplace lactation programs that work for all workers, including lower-wage and hourly employees.
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: Your Legal Obligation
Beginning in 2010, all employers in the United States are now required by federal law to provide nonexempt nursing mothers with time and space to pump milk for their babies while they are at work. Employers must now:
- Provide nonexempt nursing mothers reasonable break time to pump milk at work for up to one year.
- Provide a private space that is not a bathroom in which employees can pump milk for their infants.
The tools in this section will help you set up a lactation program and create a supportive environment for nursing mothers, so that you and your employees will be healthier, happier and more competitive.
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: The Business Benefits
Healthy families are good for business. When employees breastfeed their babies at work, employers can realize significant savings. When employers support a mother’s choice to breastfeed, they will increase employee productivity, retention and engagement, and will lower their health care costs
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: Your Legal Right
All employers in the United States are now required by federal law to provide nursing mothers in hourly positions with space and time at work to pump milk for their babies. Employers must now:
- Provide nonexempt nursing mothers reasonable break time to pump milk at work for up to one year.
- Provide a private space that is not a bathroom in which employees can pump milk for their infants.
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: Benefits for Working Families
Breastfeeding is good for babies—and you too! Learn about the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your family in this section.
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: Their Legal Right
All employers in the United States are now required by federal law to provide nursing mothers in hourly positions with space and time at work to pump milk for their babies. Employers must now:
- Provide nonexempt nursing mothers reasonable break time to pump milk at work for up to one year.
- Provide a private space that is not a bathroom in which employees can pump milk for their infants.
Workplace Support for Nursing Mothers: Benefits for Working Families
As you know, breastfeeding is good for babies and for working families. Read and download the materials in this section describing the benefits of breastfeeding and how employers can establish successful workplace lactation programs. We invite you to distribute these educational materials and resources to help new mothers continue to breastfeed when they return to work.
Photos, Blogs and Other Helpful Resources
- Breastfeeding in Combat Boots: A Survival Guide to Breastfeeding While Serving in the Military , a blog for servicewomen who choose to breastfeed.
- Corporate Voices for Working Families Blog , a blog dedicated to analyzing important public and corporate policy issues affecting working families. Read blog posts related to family economic stability.
- Inspiring Moms , a Kansas City based group dedicated to providing professional development to transform the lives of mothers and to guide them toward achieving greater balance, success and happiness.
- The Landscape of Breastfeeding Support, United States Breastfeeding Committee [Coming Soon]
- Multilingual Educational Materials , a series of flyers offering breastfeeding tips and techniques in 21 different languages as a supplement to the book, "Starting to Breastfeed."
- Secrets of Baby Behavior , a blog from the Human Lactation Center at the University of California Davis dedicated to improving parents' understanding of their baby's behavior.
- “Starting to Breastfeed ," a booklet filled with guidelines, photos and educational resources to help introduce new mothers to breastfeeding.
- Text4baby , a free text messaging and information service to help improve maternal and child health. Text BABY to 511411 to receive free text messages offering health information for the first year of your baby’s life.
- New York Nursing Moms' Rights at Work , read a brochure, published by A Better Balance , explaining what breastfeeding rights working mothers have under New York state law, and where to find local help and resources.
- “Workplace Lactation Programs: Good for Working Families. Good for Business TM, Corporate Voices’ original workplace lactation toolkit.