by Breda O'Malley June-29-2023 in Employment Law
Change in the law from Monday
As of 3 July 2023, the entitlement to breastfeeding breaks in the workplace will be extended from the current period of six months (26 weeks) to two years (104 weeks) after the child’s birth.
This increased entitlement was initially introduced via the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 (the 2023 Act) as part of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020.
An employee working and breastfeeding is entitled to take paid time off work each day to breastfeed. Individuals wanting to avail of breastfeeding breaks must notify their employer at least 4 weeks before they return from maternity leave of their intention to breastfeed (or express breast milk).
Breastfeeding breaks can be taken as either a one-hour break, two 30-minute breaks or three 20-minute breaks. Part-time workers are entitled to breastfeeding breaks, calculated on a pro-rata basis.
In addition to this, the section of the 2023 Act introducing the new right to 5 days unpaid leave to parents and carers for medical purposes or support to certain categories of people will also take effect from the start of next week.
How can we help you?
With the extension of the breastfeeding entitlement comes the added responsibility for employers to ensure that these individuals are accommodated with suitable facilities or are facilitated with reduced hours to enable breastfeeding.
Organisations are advised to update their policies to reflect these forthcoming changes.
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About the Author
Breda O'Malley
Breda is a partner in the Employment Law Team at Hayes solicitors.
Breda advises on the full range employment issues across a broad range of sectors, for established business clients and senior executives.