Monday, May 17, 2010

New Protections For Working Mothers

As part of the Health Care Reform Bill recently signed into law by President Obama new protections for working mothers have been provided under the FLSA.

Here's the text of the new section:

SEC. 4207. REASONABLE BREAK TIME FOR NURSING MOTHERS.

Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 207) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(r)(1) An employer shall provide—

(A) a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and

(B) a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.

(2) An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under paragraph (1) for any work time spent for such purpose.

(3) An employer that employs less than 50 employees shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection, if such requirements would impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer’s business.

(4) Nothing in this subsection shall preempt a State law that provides greater protections to employees than the protections provided for under this subsection.

While the language of the new law does not require employers to pay employees for this break time under federal law, Wisconsin law, along with other similar states, might. If the break is for less than an uninterrupted thirty (30) minutes, under Wisconsin law employers will be required to compensate the employee for the break. See Wis. Admin. Code DWD § 274.02. As with any new law, time will tell how and to what extent the new law will actually work to protect employees.