A breastfeeding break is a legal right that gives you time away from work to breastfeed your child or pump breast milk during working hours. Under Section 12-8 of the Working Environment Act, you are entitled to up to 1 hour of paid breastfeeding break per day as long as your child is under one year old and your workday is 7 hours or longer. You decide when and for how long you need the break, your employer cannot refuse you.
A breastfeeding break is an important right that makes it possible to combine breastfeeding with working life. Here, you will find everything you need to know about the rules, what you are entitled to, and practical tips for making it work at your job.
What is a breastfeeding break?
A breastfeeding break means that as a nursing employee, you have the right to time off work to breastfeed your child or pump breast milk. This right applies regardless of whether you breastfeed your child directly or use a breast pump at the workplace.
In short:
- Breastfeeding breaks are a legal right under Section 12-8 of the Working Environment Act
- You decide yourself when and how you take your breastfeeding break
- Paid breastfeeding breaks apply during your child’s first year of life (for workdays of 7+ hours)
- Unpaid breastfeeding breaks have no age limit, they apply for as long as you breastfeed
- Your employer cannot refuse it is your right, not something you need to apply for
A breastfeeding break can be used to breastfeed your child directly, for example if your child is in daycare nearby, or to pump and store breast milk at work. Most people choose to pump and use the collected milk for the next day’s bottle feeds.
What does the law say?
Working Environment Act Section 12-8
The legal text is clear. Section 12-8 has two paragraphs:
First paragraph: "A woman who is breastfeeding her child may claim the time off she needs for that reason. The time off may, for example, be taken as at least half an hour twice during the workday."
Second paragraph: "A woman who has a breastfeeding break under the first paragraph has, during the child’s first year of life, the right to pay for up to one hour on workdays with agreed working hours of seven hours or more."