Employee Resources

Returning to work while breastfeeding or pumping can take planning and support.

Know Your Rights at Work

Most workers have the right to reasonable break time and a private space, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk at work for up to one year after a child’s birth. The space must be shielded from view and free from intrusion. 

Use these resources can help you understand your rights, talk with your employer, and prepare for pumping during the workday.

Helpful Links:

  • Use this resource to review Texas and federal laws related to workplace lactation support.

  • Use this Texas Department of State Health Services resource to plan for pumping at work, talk with your employer, and prepare before returning from leave.

  • Use this federal resource to learn about your rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, also called the PUMP Act.

  • Use this resource to learn how federal workplace protections may support your right to time and space to pump at work.

  • Use this plain-language guide to understand how the PUMP Act expanded workplace lactation protections.

  • Use the Texas WIC resource to find tips to help you prepare for maternity leave, returning to work, and pumping at work.

Before You Return to Work

Consider talking with your supervisor or human resources contact before your first day back.

You may want to discuss:

  • Where you can pump

  • When you may need breaks

  • How you will store milk

  • Who to contact if problems come up

What to Ask For

A lactation plan may include reasonable break time, a private non-bathroom space, access to a clean water source, and a safe milk storage option. The Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite program uses these elements in its worksite lactation policy guidance. 

Need More Help?

For legal questions, contact a qualified attorney, legal aid organization, the United States Department of Labor, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.