Employees of Faribault County, who are mothers of newborn children, will have expanded rights after the Faribault County Board of Commissioners adopted new language in the County’s Personnel Policy at their meeting on Tuesday.
Lexi Scholten, Central Services Director said that as of January 1st of this year, the state of Minnesota expanded protections for expectant and new parents. Changes include requiring nursing and lactating employees receive paid break time to express milk at work and ensuring employees have a right to request and receive pregnancy accommodations in the workplace, such as more frequent restroom, food and water breaks and limits to heavy lifting.
The previous law only stated that an employer must provide reasonable unpaid break time to an employee to express milk for her infant child.
Scholten adds that the changes mean an employer may not reduce an employee’s compensation or reduce time taken to express milk. The new law clarifies that an employee has a right to take multiple breaks each day and is eligible for break times during the 12 months following the birth of a child.