P.R. Women’s Advocate Office Issues New Lactation Room Standards
By: Javier G. Vázquez-Segarra, Esq.
February 23, 2021
Last week, the Puerto Rico Women’s Advocate Office published Guidelines for the Habilitation of Lactation Rooms (The Guidelines) applicable to public and private sector employers. The Guidelines, which are immediately effective, require that the lactation rooms employers provide to breastfeeding mothers in the workplace comply with the following:
- to be located in an accessible area;
- be private and secure, including having a lock and similar safety measures;
- security cameras inside or near the lactation room entrance are prohibited;
- can’t be used for other purposes and must be kept clean;
- must be well-ventilated and include a sink;
- specifically excludes bathrooms as a lactation room alternative; and
- contain adequate space, including furniture that facilitates the lactation process like a comfortable table and chair, power outlets, and a small refrigerator used exclusively for the storage of breastmilk.
Employers are required to have a policy to regulate the use of the lactation room and to keep a log documenting the time of entry and exit of the lactating mother and of the person in charge of cleaning the room.
The Puerto Rico Women’s Advocate Office has the authority to inspect the lactation rooms of employers at their discretion or upon request and violations may result in fines of up to $10,000.
Goldman Antonetti & Córdova, LLC stands ready to assist you and your business to adjust to Puerto Rico’s regulatory and legal changes. If you need further assistance in this area, please contact any of the following members of our Firm:
Javier Vazquez
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Angel Berberena
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Howard Pravda | 787.759.4101 | |
Vicente Antonetti | 787.759.4112 | |
Romel Meléndez | 787.759.4115 | |
Luis Ortiz Abreu | 787.759.4110 | |
Gabriel Quintero | 787.759.4130 |
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Goldman Antonetti & Cordóva, LLC | 787-759-8000 | www.gaclaw.com