Breastfeeding breaks and lactation rooms at work
Health Act · sources read 5 Oct 2026
Your employer must give you paid breaks to breastfeed or express milk, on top of your meal breaks, of up to one hour in total for every 8-hour working period. Every employer must also set up a lactation station at work, which cannot be in the toilets.
- Where
- Your employer first; disputes go to the area labour officer or the Employment and Labour Relations Court
Steps
- Ask your employer for nursing breaks to breastfeed or express milk. These are in addition to your normal meal breaks.
- Ask where the lactation station is. It should have handwashing facilities, a fridge or cooling facility, sockets for breast pumps, a small table and comfortable seats.
- If there is a dispute with your employer over your rights, you can complain to the labour officer in your area or file a case at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
- The labour officer registers your complaint and, if it is not settled within 7 days, calls you and your employer to a conciliation meeting.
Watch out
- The breaks include the time it takes to walk to and from the lactation station and count as paid working time, but they are capped at one hour in total per 8-hour working period.
- A toilet or restroom is not allowed as a lactation station.
- Employers must not allow infant formula or breast milk substitutes to be promoted or sold in the lactation station.
Who this covers
- All nursing (breastfeeding) employees.
Official sources (3)
- Health Act (Cap. 241, No. 21 of 2017), version of 10 July 2026 new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Employment Act, 2007 labour.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Handling of Labour Disputes labour.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026