For Employers

The Return on Investment... Supporting breastfeeding employees saves you money.

Here's how:

  • Breastfeeding lowers health care costs
  • Breastfeeding employees miss work less often

How can you support your breastfeeding employees in the workplace?

Lactation support programs for employees can be tailored to fit the needs of your organization, and can be as simple or as elaborate as desired. Companies typically report that developing a program is easier than they had imagined. There are a variety of models for breastfeeding support programs which can be implemented in diverse workplace settings.

The Business Case for Breastfeeding is a comprehensive program designed to educate employers about the value of supporting breastfeeding employees in the workplace. The program highlights how such support contributes to the success of the entire business. The Business Case for Breastfeeding offers tools to help employers provide worksite lactation support and privacy for breastfeeding mothers to express milk.

Know the Law

New York State has laws that protect mothers' rights to breastfeed.

Under the NYS Labor Law Section 206-C Breastfeeding in the Workplace Accommodation Law (2007), breastfeeding mothers are guaranteed the right to pump milk at work for three years after giving birth. They have the right to use paid break or meal times, or reasonable unpaid break times, to pump milk. Employers must attempt to accommodate an employees' request for a private place to pump milk. They cannot discriminate against employees who choose to pump milk at work or retaliate against women who assert their rights to do so.

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