Also included in the omnibus spending bill are expanded accommodations for women that need to express breast milk in the workplace. The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act or the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act expands the federal workplace protections for women with a need to express breast milk passed in 2010. The new law expands the requirement that employers provide certain accommodations to cover salaried employees and other types of workers not covered under existing law.
The law also requires time spent expressing breast milk must be considered hours worked if the employee is also working. It also extends the requirement to provide reasonable break time from one year to two years after birth.
Additionally, the new law requires employee notice to the employer that it is not in compliance and a ten-calendar day cure period before the employee can make a claim.
The new law also provides certain limitations and exemptions from these requirements for air carriers.