Know Your Rights: A Working Mother's Guide to Pumping at Work
This guidance is for Breastfeeding mothers preparing to pump at work who need to know and understand their workplace rights.
Contributed By: Sascha Mayer · Cofounder and Chief Experience Officer, Mamava
The Core Challenge
Breastfeeding employees have legal workplace protections that protect their right to pump at work, but many employees may not know their rights or how to advocate for a workplace culture that supports breastfeeding parents.
Key Insight
The federal PUMP Act passed in 2022 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, but only 55% of working mothers know their legal rights—which matters when three out of four breastfeeding mothers work.
Practical Strategies
Understand your rights –check out Mamava’s guide to federal and state lactation law accommodation
Review the federal PUMP Act before you return to work.
Check your state’s lactation accommodation laws—many go beyond federal requirements.
Note what your employer is legally required to provide (break time, private space, etc.).
Set expectations early
Before your return, schedule a conversation with your manager and HR.
Determine where you will pump (if you don’t have a designated lactation space).
Share a clear plan: how often you’ll pump, how long you’ll need, and any space or scheduling needs.
Put the plan in writing so everyone is aligned.
Block your calendar for your pumping sessions (if you use one).
Confirm your company’s policy
Ask HR for your organization’s written lactation accommodation policy.
If one doesn’t exist, flag the gap and share a resource or template to get one in place. Here is a guide to get started Workplace Lactation Policies: Writing + Implementation
Make sure the policy is easy to find and communicated to all employees—not just those who are breastfeeding. Ideally this policy would have a dedicated section in your employee manual.
Build your support network
Identify other breastfeeding or pumping employees at your company.
Start a group chat or informal Slack channel to share tips and support.
If such a group doesn't exist, consider creating one.
A bulletin board or shared journal in a designated lactation space is a great way to connect with other new moms.
A Small First Step
Download the Mamava app. Add any lactation spaces that you know of that aren’t already listed. Leave words of support for a breastfeeding mama.
Sascha Mayer is the cofounder and Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Mamava, the inventor of lactation pods and leading expert in lactation support solutions. Sascha is a recognized expert on lactation space design, inclusive workplaces, and social entrepreneurial leadership.
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