As you are aware, a pair of laws were passed and became effective March 2019, which require New York City employers with 4 or more employees to provide lactation accommodations, including a lactation room where employees can pump/express breast milk, and reasonable time to pump/express breast milk.

In addition, employers are required to have a written lactation policy that meets certain requirements under the law and must provide it to all new employees. The New York City Commission on Human Rights has now developed and published several model lactation accommodation policies and a model request form that employees may use to satisfy the law’s documentation requirements. 

The model request form, model policies, and other materials related to New York City’s lactation room accommodations law can be accessed on the New York City Human Rights Commission’s “Lactation Accommodations” page. 

Employers should note that there are separate model policies for employers with (1) a dedicated lactation room; (2) a multi-purpose room (other than a restroom) that may be used as a lactation room; and (3) no available space for a lactation room.

Employers may use the version of the model policy that is most applicable to their workplace.