Urgent HR Compliance Update: New Versions of Workplace Posters
Usually, we talk about items like retention and hiring, but today we are diving into the compliance side of HR. Karen Moss, our HR Expert, provides details on what you need to know! Karen, take it away:
Due to new rights granted under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act), employers must display a new version of workplace posters.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act:
Align to the left
Align in the middle
Resize to full width
Align to the right
This new law went into effect on 6/27/23.
It requires covered employers (15 or more employees) to provide "reasonable accommodations" to a worker's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.
Reasonable accommodations might include assigning light duty, permitting more frequent bathroom breaks or allowing pregnant workers to drink water at their workstations.
Other accommodations under the PWFA might include:
The ability to sit at a workstation.
Closer parking.
Flexible hours.
Appropriately sized uniforms and safety apparel.
Additional break time to use the bathroom, eat and rest.
Leave to recover from childbirth.
Reassignment from activities that are strenuous or involve exposure to compounds not safe for pregnancy.
In addition to this new law, another law called Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP Act) went into effect 12/29/22.
The Pump Act requires employers to provide a reasonable break each time a nursing employee has a need to express milk for one year after the child's birth. Employers must provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion in which the employee can pump.
Companies with fewer than 50 employees can be exempt from the PUMP Act's provisions if they demonstrate compliance would impose an undue hardship.
Georgia has had its own Lactation Break Law which became effective on 8/5/20. The Georgia law applies to all employees, requires break time to be paid and does not contain a one year time limit on granting of lactation breaks.
Here also are links to our podcast where we explain more about it:
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our tHriving team.