The start of the year is a great time for Minnesota employers to review their policies and practices for compliance with the state's lactation breaks and pregnancy accommodations laws.
Lactation Breaks
Employers are required to provide employees who need to express breast milk for their infant child reasonable break times each day. Beginning Jan. 1, the amendments prohibit employers from reducing an employee's compensation for time used for the purpose of expressing milk. Additionally, the amendments limit an employer's obligation to the 12 months following the birth of the child.
Pregnancy Accommodations
The amendments also merged the provisions governing lactation breaks and pregnancy accommodations into one section, Minnesota Statute Section 181.939. This means that, beginning Jan. 1, employers with at least 15 employees (previously 21 employees) are covered under the pregnancy accommodations provision. Additionally, there are no longer any length of time or average number of hours per week an employee must satisfy to qualify for the accommodation rights and protections under the statute.
Gina K. Janeiro and Hadley M. Simonett are attorneys with Jackson Lewis in Minneapolis. © 2022 Jackson Lewis. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
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