Workplace Lactation Programs: Good for Working Families. Good for Business TM
- Background Info
- Using the Kit
- For Business
- For Employees
- En Español
Corporate Voices for Working Families has launched an initiative to help solve a problem facing many working mothers, especially those in hourly and lower-wage positions – the need for breastfeeding support in the workplace. In partnership with Abbott Nutrition, a division of Abbott (a global, broad-based health care company), Working Mother Media and a select group of companies, this new program aims to give employers the information and tools they need to reach hourly and lower-wage workers and help establish workplace lactation programs.
A key component of the initiative – Workplace Lactation Programs: Good for Working Families. Good for Business. TM – is a workplace lactation toolkit that provides instructions, tips and template materials (in English and Spanish). Important elements of the program include recommendations for employers on how to support employees with breastfed babies, guides for working mothers who breastfeed, and sample promotional materials to alert employees to the resources provided by the program.
The Workplace Lactation toolkit was developed in consultation with a select group of member companies and healthcare professionals, including:
| Abbott | Knowledge Universe Educ. | The TJX Companies, Inc |
| Ceridian Corporation | LifeCare | Susan J. May, MD |
| CVS Caremark | Marriott International Inc. | Bridget Swinney, MS, RD |
| IBM | MetLife | |
| ICF International | PNC Financial Services |
The Workplace Lactation Programs toolkit provides everything you need to design a program to meet the needs of all your employees:
- Employer Guide to supporting employees with breastfed babies, including business benefits and practical steps to start your program.
- Paycheck stuffer to alert employees to the resources provided by the program (in English and Spanish).
- Poster to display in employee lounges or other public spaces to promote the program (in English and Spanish).
- Flyers to distribute to employees to educate them about the program (in English and Spanish).
Workplace lactation is an important issue for women and their employers. A mother’s choice of how to best feed her baby is a critical and intensely personal decision. Yet, many lower-wage working women are not offered the time and support they need to make the choice that’s right for their families, because their workplace does not offer policies or programs that support breastfeeding. The relationship between workplace support and sustained breastfeeding or expressing milk is clear across the working population. As many full-time working mothers start breastfeeding as do part-time or unemployed mothers, and many stop within 3 months. Workplace lactation programs make great sense for employers, too—not only do they increase employee morale, loyalty, productivity, and retention, but for every $1 employers invest in workplace lactation programs, they can gain back $3 in reduced health care costs.
This toolkit is designed to help hourly and lower-wage employees make good choices about infant feeding, and to educate lower-wage employers about the benefits of workplace lactation programs and policies (resources in English and Spanish).
Here are some resources to help you get started:
Breastfeeding is good for Babies—And You Too! You can continue breastfeeding, evenwhen you return to work. Ask your supervisor for more information about how you can get support through the Workplace Lactation Programs initiative
Here are some resources for Working Families:
La lactancia materna es buena para los bebés, ¡y para usted también! Puede continuar amamantando incluso cuando regrese a su trabajo. Pídale más información a su supervisor acerca de cómo puede obtener apoyo a través de la iniciativa Programas de lactancia en el lugar de trabajo.
Aqui hay recursos para Familias que Trabajan:
