Supporting Nursing Moms at Work:
It’s NOT Rocket Science!
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was amended in 2011. It now requires employers to provide nursing moms with the time and space to be able to express their milk when they are at work and away from their baby. It’s not rocket science to provide the simple accommodations of a private space and reasonable time. Even better: it pays off big-time for companies!
Studies have calculated the Return On Investment (ROI) for lactation support programs to be 3:1. This means employers could potentially triple the small investment needed to provide private space and time. Just a few benefits to companies:
Lower absenteeism rates. Bottom line: babies who receive their mother’s milk are sick less often. When babies are healthier, both moms and dads take off less work time to care for a sick infant. One study found that mothers whose babies are not breastfed are absent twice as often!
Remember: Breaks are predictable. Absences, are not. Helping employees set up predictable break times for expressing milk saves everyone time and effort.
Lower turnover rates. Bottom line: it costs money to replace good employees. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates it costs 1.5 times a person’s annual survey to replace them. Nationally, the return to work rate among pregnant women is 59%. One study found that when companies provide lactation accommodations, the return to work rate after maternity leave is 94%.
Remember: It’s a lot cheaper to RETAIN good employees...than to RETRAIN new ones.
Lower healthcare costs. Bottom line: breastfed babies save money! It has been calculated that the U.S. could save $13 billion annually if 90% of babies born are breastfed for at least their first 6 months of life. Mutual of Omaha found that they save more than $1,400 annually for each employee who is supported with breastfeeding.
More productive, loyal employees. And, frankly, that’s worth its weight in gold!
To learn more about Federal FLSA requirements for lactation support, check out these links:
U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/WHD/nursingmothers/
DOL Fact Sheet #73 “Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA”: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm
DOL FAQ “Break Time for Nursing Mothers”: https://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/faqBTNM.htm
Supporting Nursing Moms at Work: Employer Solutions: https://www.womenshealth.gov/supporting-nursing-moms-work
The Business Case for Breastfeeding: https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-home-work-and-public/breastfeeding-and-going-back-work/business-case
Workplace Support in Federal Law (U.S. Breastfeeding Committee): http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/workplace-law
Surgeon General’s Call To Action to Support Breastfeeding: https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/breastfeeding/index.html
Contact Every Mother, Inc. for information and free technical assistance at:
Cathy Carothers, Co-Director
Every Mother Inc.
