August is National Breastfeeding Month in the US and the US Department of Labor announced a new nationwide campaign to increase awareness about the challenges faced by nursing workers in trying to express breast milk during work hours.
This campaign from the DOL has been named “Power to Pump” and is being helmed by the department’s Wage and Hour division. The aim of the campaign is to build awareness about the relevant issues and accommodations involved via the allocation of significant resources across a variety of community organizations throughout the country, including the distribution of information cards containing key points of the Nursing Mothers Act and compliance guidelines to help employers better navigate the requirements of the Pump Act.
The Pump act was enacted at the close of 2022, significantly building upon the foundational protections for nursing employees that were established in the Fair Labor Standards Act and expanding those protections to include workers in industries like agriculture, service and hospitality, transportation, and education. Under the Pump Act, for a period of at least 1 year following the birth of a baby, employers are required to provide applicable employees both work breaks and privacy sufficient to express breast milk while on the job. The Pump Act also outlines the remedies available to employees if the rights provided to them under the Pump Act are violated by their employer.
The Power to Pump campaign is primarily focusing its outreach efforts on employers and employees who have recently or will soon become parents, as well as any workers that are particularly vulnerable and/or work in the industries that will be most impacted by the new rules - the industries that will require the most change and effort on the part of employers in order to meet accommodation expectations. Some of this outreach will be accomplished through webinars organized and hosted by the DOL Wage and Hour Division that are designed to ensure that all companies and employees alike understand the underlying mandates as well as the consequences for employers who fall short.
For the large number of women that return to their job within a year after giving birth - many of whom will be expressing milk throughout the entirety of that timeframe - not only does the Pump Act fill a crucial role in making that return to the workforce possible in the first place, but the peace of mind that comes with knowing that privacy and breaks will be available when needed also reduces stress and improves health at a time when reduced stress and bodily recovery are often most necessary.
Any employee or employer seeking clarification about compliance issues or assistance in compliance enforcement can contact a confidential, toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243). Non-native English speakers who call the helpline will have the option of more than 200 other languages from which to choose.
You can read more about the Power to Pump Campaign as well as the relevant laws, in addition to the Department of Labor's other related efforts to provide protections and accommodations for nursing employees here.
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