Andrew Gordon and Lauren Swanson Discuss the Impact on Employers of Florida's New PUMP Act

Hinshaw partner Andrew Gordon and associate Lauren Swanson have authored a Daily Business Review byline discussing the impact of the recently passed Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) on Florida employers. The PUMP Act requires covered employers to provide nursing workers with reasonable break time and a location to pump breast milk for one year following the birth of a child.

Gordon and Swanson note that The PUMP Act includes an "undue hardship" exemption that applies only to businesses with fewer than fifty employees nationwide. They add,

Due to the novelty of the PUMP Act, Florida small business employers cannot definitively determine at this time whether their circumstances fall under this 'undue hardship' exemption. As a result, absent extraordinary circumstances, Florida small business employers should be prepared to provide reasonable break time and space to nursing workers in accordance with the PUMP Act.

To avoid lawsuits, Gordon and Swanson encourage Florida employers to "educate their management team and develop policies outlining how their company will ensure compliance with the PUMP Act. Florida employers should be open to discussing with each nursing worker her specific circumstances to best accommodate the worker and to keep business running smoothly."

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"The PUMP Act: How Will It Impact Florida Employers?" was published by Daily Business Review on June 14, 2023