Businesses Can’t Afford to Ignore Workplace Lactation Week

Lactation support might not be in your business plan, but ignoring it could cost you your best people. Every September, Workplace Lactation Week (September 1-7) highlights that when businesses support nursing parents, everyone wins. The week is not just a celebration on its own, but a call to action for small and medium-size businesses that want to attract, retain, and support working parents. Yet, many are not aware of workplace lactation, or of the growing legal, cultural, and economic reasons to pay attention.

I am a co-founder of Healthy Horizons Corporate Lactation Services, a women-led workplace lactation company with 35 years of experience. I am proud to say that we started the Workplace Lactation Week in 2023. We chose September 1-7 to coincide with Labor Day and emphasize the dual labor of career and caregiving. The purpose is to normalize and support every working and pumping parent, whether they’re working in an office, a factory floor, remotely, or on the road. This year’s theme is “A world of support: Creating breastfeeding-friendly workplaces everywhere.”

It’s the law, but it’s also smart

Why does this matter for small and medium-size businesses? To begin, there are over 80 federal, state, territory, and local workplace lactation laws, and noncompliance can lead to fines and lawsuits. For example, the PUMP Act and PWFA (Pregnant Workers Fairness Act) apply to nearly all employers, requiring them to provide reasonable break time, a space for pumping that is not a bathroom, and reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. Lack of support can lead to new parents leaving or disengaging. Providing workplace lactation rooms and support at work helps them return to work and stay. A recent survey by Moms First and APCO revealed that a majority of moms dread returning to work, and one in three considered leaving their job due to inadequate support.

Small and medium-size businesses can implement low-lift ways to show support during this week and beyond:

• Audit your policies: Do they mention lactation breaks and lactation rooms?
• Educate your team: Share federal, state, and local law updates and internal policies.
• Create a lactation space: Even a clean, private space with a chair, a fridge, and an outlet can be the start to a supportive lactation room.
• Partner with experts: There are professionals who can help you design lactation rooms, and support you with ongoing lactation room and breast pump maintenance.
• Join the campaign: Post on social media using #WorkplaceLactationWeek and #WLW, and follow @WorkplaceLactationWeek.

This week can be a turning point for your business. When you support pumping parents, you are not only complying with the law—you’ll reduce absenteeism, build loyalty, and improve ROI as well. Workplace Lactation Week is ultimately about human dignity. It’s about empowering parents with the resources they need to thrive, both at home and at work. When we get that right, we build stronger families, more resilient employees, and more successful companies.

Originally published by Cassi Janakos, COO of Healthy Horizons Breastfeeding Centers on Inc.com

https://www.inc.com/cassi-janakos/businesses-cant-afford-to-ignore-workplace-lactation-week/91228827