Pratt Community College acknowledges the worksite accommodation law in the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted in March 2010, which amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore provides breastfeeding employees the following lactation accommodations:
Lactation Accommodation Provisions
Reasonable Time to Express Milk at Work
Employees shall be provided reasonable time to express milk while at work following the child’s birth each time the employee has need to express milk. Employees should use usual break and meal periods for expressing milk, when possible. If additional time is needed beyond the provided breaks, employees may use personal leave or may make up the time as negotiated with their supervisors.
A Private Area for Milk Expression
Employees will be provided with a private place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, to express breast milk. The room can be a designated space for lactation. If this is not practical or possible, a vacant office, conference room, or other small area can be used so long as it is not accessible or visible to the public or other employees while the nursing employee is using the room to express milk. The room will:
- Be in close proximity to the employee’s work station when possible
- Have a door equipped with a functional lock or, if this is not possible, the room will have a sign advising that the room or location is in use and not accessible to other employees or the public
- Be well lit
- Ensure privacy by covering any windows with a curtain, blind, or other covering
- Contain at a minimum a chair and a small table, counter, or other flat surface
- Ideally include an electrical outlet and nearby access to clean water
No employee shall be discriminated against for breastfeeding or expressing milk during the work period, and reasonable efforts will be made to assist employees in meeting their infant feeding goals while at work.
This policy shall be communicated to all current employees and included in new employee orientation training. Any act found to be intentional that invades a nursing mother’s privacy shall be treated as a disciplinary offense and reported to the appropriate manager.
Employer Responsibilities
Pratt Community College will:
- Maintain the cleanliness of the room or location set aside for the use of employees expressing breast milk at work.
- Notify employees returning to work following the birth of a child of their rights under the national worksite lactation accommodation law in the U.S. Patient Affordable Care Act. This notice may either be provided individually to affected employees or to all employees generally through posting in a central location.
Employee Responsibilities
Breastfeeding employees utilizing lactation support services will:
- Give supervisors advance notice of the need for lactation accommodations, preferably prior to their return to work following the birth of the child. This will allow supervisors the opportunity to establish a location and work out scheduling issues.
- Maintain the designated area by wiping the pump (if provided) and surfaces with microbial wipes so the area is clean for the next user.
- Insure the safekeeping of expressed breast milk stored in any refrigerator on the premises. Breast milk can be stored in a general company refrigerator, in a refrigerator provided, or in the employee’s personal cooler.
