Ryan Cowdin
Wed, 01/12/2022
On January 1, 2022, changes to Minnesota’s laws for lactation breaks and pregnancy accommodations went into effect. The new rules provide a considerable boost to new mothers. Previously, employees were only permitted to take one, unpaid lactation break during the whole workday. Now, employers are required to provide “reasonable break times each day” to express milk for employees who have given birth in the last twelve months. The new law also makes lactation break time compensable and requires the lactation break to “run concurrently” with other meal and break times “if possible.” Finally, while the new rule does provide an exception for breaks that would “unduly disrupt” the operations of the employer, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who assert their right to mandatory lactation breaks.
The changes also expand coverage of Minnesota’s pregnancy accommodation statute. Employers who have 15 or more employees are now all covered by the law (expanded from employers with at least 21 employees). These smaller employers are now required to provide pregnant employees an accommodation unless it would cause an undue hardship on the business. Excluded from “undue hardship” considerations are several accommodations common to pregnancy, including restroom, food, and water breaks; seating; and a limit on lifting over 20 pounds. Just like lactation breaks, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who assert their right to pregnancy accommodations.
