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The Business Case for Breastfeeding

August 11, 2020 by Bethanie Ryan

Why should employers offer women the means to breastfeed while working? The benefits truly outweigh the costs for both mother and employer.

What do lactating working mothers need?

The lactation essentials at work include:

  • A private space with a door that locks (not a bathroom)
    • Breast milk is food and should be prepared with appropriate care.
    • There could be a designated space for all in-office lactation or the breastfeeding employee’s office.
  • A comfy chair
  • An electrical outlet for a breast pump
  • A miniature refrigerator
    • The milk is kept at a safe temperature.
    • Avoid using a common area fridge for breastmilk.
  • Midday breaks and flexible scheduling
    • Breastfeeding is not a task that can easily be postponed or adjusted each day.
    • Most women will pump two or three times during the workday, for about 15 to 20 minutes each time.
  • Support
    • A compromising, sympathetic attitude will go a long way for working parents, which equals lower turnover rates.
    • Resentment or inflexibility will only harm the office environment and make it harder for a mom to work productively or stay with the company.
  • Education
    • Studies show that offering resources and education on breastfeeding to all employees (women and men) leads to fewer absences of men later on, as their infants are likely to be breastfed longer and get sick less often.
    • According to one study, 83% of employees were more positive about their company as a result of breastfeeding education; 67% made it their long-term employer.

Why should breastfeeding be encouraged by employers? 

  • It’s the healthiest option for babies and their parents.
    • Babies who are breastfed get sick less often, meaning lower absenteeism rates for their parents.
    • Mothers who formula-feed take one-day absences twice as often.
  • It decreases health care costs as breastfeeding strengthens infants’ immune systems.
  • Mothers can take shorter maternity leaves if they know they will be able to pump at work.
  • The retention rate for companies with lactation support rises to 94.2%, significantly higher than the national average retention rate: 59%.

Further reading:
More on breastfeeding
More on formula
The Business Case for Breastfeeding, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Business Case for Breastfeeding, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

By Grace Berning

Filed Under: Know Your Rights at Work, Work Tagged With: breastfeeding, breastfeeding at work, parent-friendly workplace, parenting rights, parents rights at work

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Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefi Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefits," courtesy of Women Deserve Better Expert and legal aid attorney Susan Schoppa.
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The most common feelings I experience as an unemployed job seeker: 
1. Rejection/Sorrow. Something is wrong with me… because it cannot be that I don't have more than the required training or education or experience... so it must be me.
2. Anxiety from inadequacy of effort. Something would come along if I just tried harder (more than daily searches, weekly job clubs, outreaches on LinkedIn, etc.).
3. Aloneness. Other people with fewer skills, less education and experience… are getting jobs. They won't understand how alone I am in this. Other people must have a lot of resources to not have to work for this long, and I am barely making it and can't afford things now. I am alone in this.
4. Hopelessness. Scores of applications and letters to employers have gone unanswered for weeks and now months. What's the use?
5. Blaming myself and/or self-doubt. Why didn't I see the writing on the wall and find something while I still had a job? I guess I really am as stupid as these employers think I am.
6. Confusion. I am now out of my routine, so things don't fall into place like they once did. Am I getting dementia? Is this normal?
7. Anger. If my employer thought I was so great to give me a very good review several years in a row, why haven't they told me of other available jobs after this one ended? Shame on them!
8. Embarrassment. People may think I lost my job because I was a marginal or lazy employee. They don't know how hard I worked, and that the termination was due to issues not of my doing. They may see me as someone who deserved this.
9. Fear. What if I can't find a job in time before we lose our place to live?
10. Happiness. It can be a good thing to start over sometimes.
Have you ever felt like this woman? Please know that there is help. Check out our latest article on Women Deserve Better, "Find Help When You Can’t Find a Job":
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