Starbucks Case Shows Why Lactation Rights Matter at Work

For many employees returning from maternal leave, the transition back to work is not only physically demanding, but emotionally taxing. The period immediately after childbirth is one of recovery and adjustment, and yet, new mothers are often expected to resume their professional responsibilities without acknowledgment of the realities their bodies and families are still navigating. In this context, the right to safe, private, and adequate lactation accommodations is not a matter of convenience — it is a matter of dignity, health, and workplace equality.

The New Jersey Complaint

A recent case against Starbucks in Sicklerville, New Jersey, illustrates the problem vividly. A barista returning from parental leave asked her manager for a private space to pump. Instead, she was given a cloth trifold screen in a crowded back room, next to sinks and supplies, where coworkers came and went. When she raised concerns, she was told her only options were to use that inadequate setup or extend her maternity leave. With no real choice, she was pushed into taking unpaid leave for nearly two more months.

The New Jersey Attorney General’s office has since found probable cause that Starbucks violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing.

Why These Laws Matter

It’s easy for an employer to dismiss lactation accommodations as a minor issue. But for real people, the consequences are enormous. Without these protections:

• Mothers are forced to choose between their paycheck and their child’s health.
• Families lose vital income when women must take unpaid leave simply because a private pumping space isn’t provided.
• Workers are shamed or sidelined, reinforcing the outdated expectation that women must be “superhuman” — simultaneously primary caregivers and model employees without complaint.

These laws were enacted because, for decades, women were routinely forced to pump in bathrooms, cars, or not at all. That meant returning to work often cut short the ability to breastfeed, with ripple effects on maternal health, infant health, and family finances. By mandating time and space for pumping, the law recognizes that supporting working mothers is not a luxury — it is a basic matter of dignity, equality, and public health.

Federal and New York Protections

The federal PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and New York Labor Law § 206-c, which mirror the New Jersey law, make it clear: employers must provide reasonable break time and a clean, private location — not a restroom — for lactating employees. Retaliation for asking for these rights is illegal. In New York, these protections apply to all employers, large or small.

Protecting Your Rights

The Starbucks case is not just about one barista. It is about the countless workers who are told, explicitly or implicitly, that their needs don’t matter once they clock in. If your employer has denied you a safe and private space to pump, forced you into unpaid leave, or retaliated against you for speaking up, you have rights.

Our firm represents employees across New York who face workplace violations like these. No one should have to choose between feeding their child and keeping their job. If you believe your rights have been violated, contact us today for a confidential consultation.

Link: New York Policy on the Rights of Employees to Express Breast Milk in the Workplace