Support for Breastfeeding Employees and Students

The following federal workplace laws are now in effect:

• PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act – Expands the legal right to receive pumping breaks and private space to nearly 9 million more workers, including teachers, registered nurses, farmworkers, and many others. Details (U.S. DOL Wage & Hour Division Resources)
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – Gives pregnant and postpartum workers, including breastfeeding employees, a national right to reasonable workplace accommodations, including lactation accommodations.
  • What You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (EEOC)
  • PWFA Know-your-rights resource, available in Spanish
  • The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: What You Should Know
  • Know Your Rights: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

For Employers – NEW Family Forward Workplace Guide

Resources for Employees and their supporters:

• Know Your Workplace Lactation Rights (postcard) Order HERE
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act – Know Your Rights
• Workplace Guide (USBC)
• Center for WorkLike Law “Breastfeeding Employees” resources
• Breastfeeding Employees: Worker.Gov
• Video – Returning to Work at a Meat Processing Plant
• Breastfeeding & Returning to Work (CDC)
• “Know Your Rights” poster (En Español)- outlining breastfeeding rights in Kansas
• Nursing Mother Workplace Protections  – flyer from Federal Dept. of Labor
• Know Your Rights: Nursing Workers & FMLA (DOL & EEOC webinar slides)
• (913) 551-5721 in Kansas for Questions or Complaints – Wage & Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor
• Winning New Rights for Lactating Workers: The Advocate’s Toolkit
• Referral Form – Need help working with your employer? Use this form to request additional help from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition staff.
• Talking to Your Boss About Your Pump – Helps you make a plan to take care of your breastfeeding needs at work. It explains your legal protections and gives you practical tips on how to talk to your boss about breastfeeding accommodations (Spanish)
• Checklist – Returning to Work (En Español)- what you need to succeed on the first day back to work or school
• Breast Pump Bag Tag (Order here)
• Working & Breastfeeding (35-min. video, from Jessica Donahue, RN, IBCLC, Little Rock, Arkansas)
• 5-Steps for Returning to Work LLL
• Resource and Referral Guide for Breastfeeding Employees and their Employers – Chart to direct you to information or support related to workplace lactation accommodation and discrimination.
• “Breastfeeding Works: How To Support Nursing Employees and Students” webinar overview of federal laws pertaining to breastfeeding employees
• Enforcement Guidance for Pregnancy Discrimination Act, EEOC – NEW protection for breastfeeding employees, lactation is a “medically related condition” to pregnancy
• Returning to Work – USDA WIC resources and advice for breastfeeding mothers returning to work
• Letter to Employer:
  • From Employee
  • From Physician
• Espanol:
  • Madres Que Están Lactancia Maternal Protecciones Laborales (federal law)
  • Let’s Give Break poster (Spanish)
  • Como Hablar con tu Jefe Acerca tu Extractor de Leche Materna
  • Embarazo: Tiene derecho a ser tratado con igualdad – U.S. Dept. of Labor, rights and resources for pregnant and lactating employees
  • Wallet card, federal law – Receso para Madres que Amamantan

Resources for Employers:

• U.S. DOL Wage & Hour Division Resources
• Videos:
  • “Law & Policy” (3-mins.)
  • Featuring Ohio businesses that offer lactation support to their employees, these videos were created to highlight why workplace lactation support matters and how businesses can make this possible:
    • Workplace Lactation Support: Full Video
    • Part 1: Why Workplace Lactation Support Matters
    • Part 2: Easy Solutions for Space
    • Part 3: Easy Solutions for Time
    • Part 4: Workplace PLUS Upgrades
    • Part 5: Ramping up Support
• Communication Plan – ensures employees know about the lactation support program
• Employer Report – results of 2021 Kansas employer survey and best practices for supporting breastfeeding employees
• Sample Policy – easily added to employee handbooks, increases communication and reduces the risk of complaints
• Supporting Nursing Moms at Work: Employer Solutions – practical solutions from over 20 industries, including several businesses in Kansas, for time and space accommodations
• Apply for the Breastfeeding Employee Support Award – We’d like to add you to the list of over 375 award-winning employers in Kansas!
• CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard Manual
• Ohio Workplace PLUS Toolkit
• Mississippi WINS Toolkit (2023)
• Making It Work (New York Dept. of Health)
•  Videos:
  • Compliance with federal law and basic worksite solutions (30-mins.)
    • Pregnancy Discrimination Act and federal laws (50-mins.)

• “Let’s Give Her a Break” Poster for breakrooms. Help co-workers and supervisors get on board!
• (Let’sGiveBreak poster Spanish) (Let’sGiveBreak poster Somali)
• Door Hanger – makes any room an instant lactation room! And it’s FREE! (Order here)

For Hospitals: Toolkit, sample policy, webinar

For Students:

• Title IX protections for breastfeeding students from The Pregnant Scholar
• Ask about Section 504 accommodations to receive accommodations (K-12 students)

For School Districts:

• “Grab & Go” Support for Breastfeeding Faculty & Staff (summary document)
• Supporting Breastfeeding Faculty & Staff (slides)
• “Let’s Give Her a Break” for schools  (poster) 
• Communication Plan – depicts how support is communicated from the first family meeting through the first month after returning to work
• Success Stories:
  • Fort Scott USD #234
  • Lawrence USD #497
• KBC School District Baseline Assessment Report  (7/1/2017)- shows how school districts in Kansas are supporting breastfeeding employees. Contains resources, examples of district solutions, and sample policies for school districts

For Colleges & Universities:

• Toolkit for Establishing Lactation Support on University and College Campuses
• Lactation 101: Lactation Accommodations in Los Angeles County Higher Education
• Posters – directed to students with messages to continue breastfeeding while studying.
• First “Breastfeeding Friendly Campus” in the US – Southern Connecticut

Assistance during COVID-19 pandemic:

• Your COVID-19 Workplace Rights: Breastfeeding and Lactation (Spanish)
• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Your Workplace Rights
• Pumping at Work: Supporting Lactating Employees During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Care for Breastfeeding People (CDC) – lactation room guidance near the bottom of page
• WorkLife Law Helpline to assist with workplace challenges related to breastfeeding during the pandemic.

Visit the Kansas Business Case for Breastfeeding for more information and resources or contact Brenda Bandy at bbandy@ksbreastfeeding.org  or (785) 477-4666.

Outside of Kansas? Program materials and implementation assistance are available for a fee. Contact info@ksbreastfeeding.org for more information.