Starting June 19, 2024, New York State’s lactation break law will be updated to require employers to provide paid breaks. Specifically, employers of all sizes must provide employees with 30 minutes of paid break time and allow them to use other paid break or meal time to cover any time beyond 30 minutes. Employees must be allowed a paid lactation break each time they have a reasonable need to express breast milk.

As was the case before, employees are entitled to these breaks for up to three years after the child is born.

Action Items

Update your lactation break policy to reflect these changes.

Post the updated version of the Policy on the Rights of Employees to Express Breast Milk in the Workplace poster when it becomes available (you’ll be able to find it here).

Educate your managers on this new entitlement.