For nursing mothers, the Department of Labor is on a campaign to let them know about extended rights that allow them to pump breastmilk at work.

The newly enacted Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2023, extends the rights of nursing mothers to have time and a private space to pump breastmilk at work. Under the PUMP Act, more workers in more industries – now including teachers, care workers and farmworkers – are protected by the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new protections also expand remedies available to these workers if their employers do not comply with the law.

"The Fair Labor Standards and Family and Medical Leave acts include provisions to protect the rights of new and expectant mothers to care for and bond with their children. For more than a decade, many working parents have had legal protections to be able to have break time and proper space at work to express breast milk," Principal Deputy Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman added. "The PUMP Act strengthens and expands these protections to give more working parents peace of mind when it comes to caring for their child."