Your rights when pumping at work in 2024

As some states look at beef up pumping protections for moms at work, it’s important to know what federal legislation is already in place to protect you. The PUMP Act, which was signed into law in 2022, gives moms certain pumping rights at work.

Here are three key things to know about the PUMP Act:

• Your employer is required to give you reasonable time to pump at work.
• Your employer is required to provide a space for you to pump. This space cannot be a bathroom. The space must be private and out of view from coworkers.
• You have these rights to pump at work for up to a year.
  
  

You may have questions about whether time to pump will be paid break time. According to the Department of Labor, “If an employee is not completely relieved from duty, time used to pump breast milk at work must be paid. If employers provide paid breaks, an employee who expresses milk during a break must be compensated in the same way that other employees are compensated for break time.”

The Department of Labor has an extensive question and answer section about the PUMP Act. You can read more about it here.