Law, compliance, and variation: Proximity and preferences regarding workplace lactation accommodations

Abstract

Federal law mandates that employers accommodate lactating workers who wish to express breast milk at work. Lactation's physical demands set lactating employees apart from their coworkers, as lactation requires regular breaks and private rooms to express milk. Although longer breaks and convenient lactation accommodations make for more successful workplace milk expression, many lactating workers lack one or both. During their lactation breaks, some lactating workers wish to maintain workplace productivity, while others seek to relax and reconnect with their nurslings. Although the law mandates basic lactation accommodations, additional consideration must be given to location as well as to the preferences of lactating employees.