May 16, 2024 Written by: David Frankel, Esq.
Effective June 19, 2024, pursuant to New York Labor Law § 206-c, New York employers must provide an employee with a paid 30 minute break to permit them to express breast milk for the employee’s nursing child for 3 years following the child’s birth. Previously, such breaks only needed to be “reasonable unpaid break time.”
As a reminder, if an employee requests to express breast milk in the workplace, a New York employer must designate a room or other location available to the employee that is (i) in close proximity to the work area, (ii) well lit, (iii) shielded from view, and (iv) free from intrusion from other persons in the workplace or the public. The room must provide, at a minimum, a chair, working surface, nearby access to clean running water and, if the workplace is supplied with electricity, an electrical outlet. This room cannot be a restroom or toilet stall.
Employers should review their policies and handbooks to ensure that they are compliant with the new New York requirement.
If you need any assistance regarding this new requirement, please reach out to the Staffing Team at Becker LLC and we will be happy to offer some guidance.