August is the most popular birth month in the U.S., meaning many employees will return from parental leave this fall and winter with new postpartum needs. Two key federal laws – the PUMP Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness...more
In just over a year following its enactment, employees across the country have filed a bevy of lawsuits, including class actions, alleging violations of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP...more
Implementation of the requirements for compliance with the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) has presented unique challenges to employers in the retail and restaurant industries due to...more
2023 has brought many updates and changes to the legal landscape. Our blog posts have covered many of them, but you may not remember (or care to remember) them. Before moving on to 2024, let’s take a moment to review our top...more
This past year has brought with it expanded employment protections for new and expectant working mothers. These protections, in the form of two federal laws, alter the landscape for how employers can consider the needs of...more
While not legally required, having an employee handbook is in every company’s best interest. It serves as a tool to communicate policies, procedures, and company values, providing protection for employers when they are...more
The ability to pump breast milk in the workplace is protected by the FLSA. In 2010, the Break Time for Nursing Mother Act was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and amended the FLSA to include break time and...more
In recent years, the United States has faced an epidemic of maternal mortality and worsening maternal health disparities and ranks well beyond its industrialized peers on these metrics. In response, many employers have taken...more
Balancing work and motherhood raises age-old questions for women in virtually every industry. Amongst these are how to navigate work during both pregnancy and the transition back to work after the baby is born, which present...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-2 on May 17, 2023, to provide guidance to its field staff regarding enforcement of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act...more
New federal legislation is expanding existing employer obligations to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees and reasonable breaks for nursing employees to express breast milk during the workday. The...more
Recent amendments to Title VII and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) impact how employers address pregnant and breastfeeding employees’ needs. Employers should reset their approaches to navigate the newly expanded...more
On June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) officially became law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued statements confirming it will start accepting charges for any violations of the...more
Many working mothers strive to attain some form of work life balance but may find that their jobs do not provide the flexibility and autonomy that they need to reach this goal. Women often feel like we are spinning one plate...more
The Department of Labor has recently issued guidance on the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). The PUMP Act was signed into law on December 29, 2022, amending the Fair Labor Standards...more
Every year, some developments in employment law have greater potential to affect the manufacturing industry than others. Thus far in 2023, possible changes to the salary threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and...more
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued a Field Assistance Bulletin providing guidance to field staff regarding the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). ...more
On December 29, 2023, President Biden signed the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”), which was included within the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2023. Enforcement began on...more
A recent federal law—the PUMP Act—expands the rights of employees for lactation breaks. Although there were prior protections for some employees under federal law, the PUMP Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and...more
In our recent blog post, we highlighted legislation that will impact employers this year related to nursing and pregnant employees: the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (the “PUMP Act”) and the...more
On May 17, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued enforcement guidance on the “pump at work provisions” of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as amended by the passage of the PUMP Act last December 2022....more
All employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must post an updated version of the FLSA “Employee Rights” poster to remain compliant with the law....more
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) takes effect on June 27, 2023, and requires private employers with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations to their employees for pregnancy, childbirth, recovery,...more
Remedies for enforcement of the new federal Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act), which requires most employers to provide both reasonable break time for employees to express milk for a...more
At the tail end of the last legislative session, Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (“PWFA”) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”). Upon their passage, the PWFA and...more