Expressing Milk in the Workplace Policy

Purpose:

To provide a policy that supports employees who need to express breast milk.

Definitions Related to this Policy:

Expression of Milk means the initiation of lactation, by manual or mechanical means, for employee’s children who are 18 months of age or younger.

Lactation Area means an acceptable area for expression of milk includes the following:
• The employee’s work area if the work area permits the employee to express milk concealed from view and without intrusion by other employees or the public, such as an office. The area must have an electrical outlet.
• An empty or unused office or conference room, so long as there is a door that closes, an electrical outlet and seating. Windows, if any, can be covered. Signage can be used to indicate that the room is in use.

Private Location means a place with an electrical outlet and seating, other than a public restroom or toilet stall, concealed from view and without intrusion by other employees or the public.

Policy:

1. A reasonable rest period will be provided to employees who need to express milk each time there is a need to do so.
2. Rest periods are governed by State rules and laws. Paid or unpaid rest periods cannot be accumulated or banked by the employee for use at another time. The employer may not require an employee to use paid leave time to cover unpaid meal and rest periods used for expressing milk.
3. If a Lactation Area, as defined above, is not available in close proximity to the employee’s work area, the employee’s dean, director, or department head is responsible for assisting the supervisor in identifying and providing a Private Location for the employee to express milk within close proximity to the work area.
4. Employees will provide reasonable notice to their supervisor of the intention to express breast milk in order to allow the supervisor sufficient time to make arrangements necessary to comply with this policy. The supervisor will take into consideration the immediacy of the employee’s needs when making these arrangements.
5. Employees will be allowed to bring a cooler or other insulated container to store the expressed milk or may use a refrigerator onsite.
6. Dedicated lactation rooms can be found in the following locations:
   • Bishop Wellness Center, room 124
   • Law Library, room 129
   • University Services Building, room 101
7. Questions or concerns about this policy should be directed to the Human Resources Office.

Effective Date: November 20, 2020
Responsible Person/Primary Contact: AVP for Human Resources
Responsible University Office: Human Resources