The Minnesota Government has passed legislation that strengthen workplace protections for new and expectant parents. The new law comes into effect on January 1, 2022 and expands provisions of the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA), 2014.
Key features of the new law are:
- Paid breaks during the day will be provided to the nursing and lactating employees to express milk at work for twelve months following the child’s birth. However, this change does not affect regularly unpaid break times, including meal breaks.
- Employees who are new parents or expectant are entitled to accommodation including more frequent restroom, food, and water breaks; seating; and limits on lifting over 20 pounds.
Duties of employers for ensuring compliance with the new law:
- Communicate to employees that time spent expressing milk at work will now be considered paid break time.
- Ensure a room or other location is available reasonably close to the work area, other than a bathroom. It must be shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public and also include an electrical outlet for an employee to plug in a laptop or other portable device.
- When requested by the employee, provide more frequent restroom, food, and water breaks; seating; and limited lifting to under 20 pounds.
*Tanvi Singh, Editorial Assistant has reported this brief.
