Tips for Creating a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace

Employers going beyond the legal requirements when supporting their employees tend to have a more satisfied, stable workforce.

For employees entering motherhood and requiring breastfeeding support, a breastfeeding-friendly workplace remains one of the most important considerations for making the work environment safe and inclusive. In the U.S., the PUMP Act and PWFA require an employer to research and implement various legal accommodations to ensure that their workplace is legally safe and nondiscriminatory. 

If you’re wondering how to navigate these laws and support your breastfeeding employees in the best way possible, you’re in the right place. 

Laws on Breastfeeding in the Workplace

Workplace breastfeeding laws are continually changing, and it’s important to understand what’s expected of you as an employer. Over the last few years, the U.S. government enacted two acts to protect nursing mothers from workplace discrimination.

First, the PUMP Act – the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act – ensures that all your breastfeeding employees have the time and space to pump at work for up to a year after birth. Specifically, you’re required to:

• Provide your nursing employees with a private space (not a bathroom) shielded from view with enough room to pump milk
• Guarantee that the space is available when needed and free from any intrusions

Second, the PWFA – the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – protects pregnant workers with limitations due to either physical or mental conditions relating to pregnancy and childbirth. It prevents you from: 

• Failing to set reasonable accommodations due to a pregnant employee’s limitations 
• Requiring the employee to accept an unreasonable accommodation 
• Withholding a job from the employee because they require reasonable accommodations despite being competent
• Forcing the employee to take a leave rather than providing them with reasonable accommodations
• Punishing the employee for requesting reasonable accommodations

If you don’t create a breastfeeding-friendly workplace according to the guidelines set forth by the PUMP and PWFA, you’re liable to face legal consequences, fines, and harm to your business’s reputation. 

How to Offer Breastfeeding Support for Your Employees 

While you’re required to adhere to the guidelines under the PUMP Act and PWFA, going above and beyond can increase your chances of having a supportive, breastfeeding-friendly workplace.

Here are four ways to provide breastfeeding support to your employees who need it.

1. Provide a Private and Comfortable Space 

Breastfeeding is an intimate experience between a parent and child, and not everyone is comfortable nursing in public. So, provide your nursing employees with a private space to relax without worrying about others intruding on them. This space should not be a bathroom or a bathroom stall.

In case your employees can’t breastfeed their little ones at work, pumping is equally as intimate. So, having a private area to pump will allow them to be comfortable and stress-free.

Make sure the space has a welcoming vibe with comfortable seating, a flat surface for pumping, and good lighting and ventilation. Add-ons like a sink, outlets, a refrigerator, lockers, and cleaning supplies for other needs of your employees can be helpful, too. 

Lastly, you can offer a health insurance plan that covers the cost of a wide range of pumps and related supplies, so that’s one less financial burden on your nursing employees. 

2. Allow Flexible Break Times

Typical breaks at work can be too short to pump properly. So consider extending the break times of your nursing employees by 20 to 45 minutes.

Pumping can take anywhere from 8 to 45 minutes and often needs to be done several times during the workday. You’ll also want to give your employees enough time to clean up, have a few moments to relax, and shift back into their day-to-day. 

3. Offer On-Site Childcare

Offering on-site childcare can be beneficial for many reasons, especially because it allows your nursing employees to breastfeed their child directly rather than pumping. Breastfeeding is a special time for nursing employees to bond with their children, and offering them enough extra time to do so is a great idea. 

4. Provide Extended Maternity Leave

In the U.S., the Family and Medical Leave Act grants mothers 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. However, because it’s unpaid, many mothers rush back to work because of financial stressors. After all, having a new baby is expensive.

Instead of making this time harder for your employees, granting an extended maternity leave with pay to new mothers at your company is an excellent way to show your employees how much you value them. 

5. Give Access to Breastfeeding Resources

Breastfeeding can be very challenging, especially for first-time mothers.

Breastfeeding resources can be very helpful for avoiding or alleviating struggles during the lactation period. These resources can include support groups, lactation consultants, nutritional guidance, and more. 

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Benefits of Creating a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace 

From an employee’s perspective, the advantages of supporting working parents, specifically breastfeeding parents, include:

• Being able to provide breastmilk to their little one – which can benefit both the health of the baby and the mom
• Getting financial support during extended, paid maternity leave
• Knowing that their employer actually cares about them and their family

By getting nursing support, your breastfeeding employees will likely be more satisfied, which will improve their morale and productivity. Their transition back to work after their maternity leave would also be easier. They also will be less likely to be absent from work, harbor feelings of resentment if they feel unsupported in their breastfeeding journey, or quit to achieve a better work-life balance.

Support Nursing Employees for Better Job Retention

Nursing employees are in a vulnerable state. They are new parents with a lot on their plates, especially juggling parenthood with work and personal responsibilities. If given the option, many breastfeeding employees will likely choose to leave if they don’t feel supported by their employers during this time. 

To retain your employees and keep them satisfied and motivated, you must accommodate their needs appropriately. But, doing so just for legal reasons isn’t enough. Make sure to take it a step further and show your support and care for your nursing workers.

Check iHire’s complete Employer Resources library for more guidance on creating an inclusive and supportive workplace.