New York City passed two new laws, New York City Local Laws 185 and 186 (the “NYC lactation room laws”) that went into effect on March 18, 2019 and that expand the rights of nursing mothers in the workplace. Specifically, the laws set forth new mandatory standards that require employers to provide a lactation room and to implement written lactation room accommodation policies. These new laws amend the New York City Human Rights Law (N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§8-101 to 8-131).
Before analyzing the New York City lactation room laws, this article first will examine existing federal and New York State policies regarding lactation rooms in the workplace. It then will analyze the New York City lactation room laws and explain how they expand upon the existing federal and state rules that apply to New York City employers. This article concludes with some practical guidance for New York City employers in light of the NYC lactation room laws.
