From Breaks to Benefits

As of Jan. 1, 2026, employers with more than five employees must provide reasonable, paid break time at the employee’s regular rate of pay to employees to express breast milk for up to one year following the birth of a child. But as Abby Sissel notes in her June Illinois Bar Journal article, "From Breaks to Benefits," the Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act does not define what constitutes a “reasonable” duration or frequency. Unlike other employment statutes that impose specific time limits or scheduling standards, the NMWA leaves determination open-ended. Sissel goes on to examine what's actually required of employees and nursing moms alike.

Read, "From Breaks to Benefits," in the June Illinois Bar Journal.