news article
Mothers in the Workplace Act amended
January 13, 2023 / By Tracy Rickett, Human Resources Generalist
Effective June 7, 2023, the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act is amended to provide specifications for lactation rooms and new policy requirements for employers. Among other provisions, employers will be required to provide affected employees with a location to express breast milk that is in close proximity to their workspace, well lit and shielded from view, and free from intrusion of other persons. The room must include a chair, a working surface, nearby access to water, access to an electrical outlet, and access to refrigeration to store breast milk (if otherwise provided by the employer).
Employers must also adopt a “Lactation Accommodation Policy,” which complies with the law and which must be distributed upon hire and upon an employee’s return from leave following childbirth. It must also be distributed to all employees annually. New York State will be developing a sample policy, which should come out later in the year.