Employer Support

Employer Resources

Employers benefit when they support breastfeeding:

Lower absenteeism: Mothers with formula fed children missed work because their children were ill three times more often compared to mothers who breastfed their children.
Higher productivity
Higher company loyalty
Higher employee morale
Lower health care costs

Source: United States Breastfeeding Committee

Sample Employer Policies for Supporting Breastfeeding Employees:

Policy for Supporting Breastfeeding Employees – Office of Women’s Health – Business Case for Breastfeeding
Sample Worksite Breastfeeding Policy – Wisconsin Dept. of Health & Family Services/Wisconsin Breastfeeding Coalition
Worksite Breastfeeding Policy – Oklahoma State Department of Health

Other Helpful Links for Employers:

Guide to the Rights of Breastfeeding Employees in Oklahoma - Shows how federal and state laws affect Oklahoma working parents
Breastfeeding Works Brochure (pdf, 177 KB) – Guidelines to become an Oklahoma Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite from COBA, OK Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, and the Preparing for a Lifetime Initiative to Reduce Infant Mortality
Application for recognition as an Oklahoma Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite
Supporting Nursing Moms at Work: Employer Solutions – Online resource from Womenshealth.gov for various industries, with photos and videos of actual worksites, employees, and employers!
- Convenience Store Solutions
Break Time for Nursing Mothers Under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) – Department of Labor Fact Sheet #73
Department of Labor FAQ about break time for nursing mothers
Business Case for Breastfeeding (Office on Women's Health toolkit for workplace breastfeeding support)
Breastfeeding Benefits Coverage in the Affordable Care Act – New toolkit from National Women’s Law Center (pdf,11 pages) – includes an explanation of the law, sample scripts & letters for contacting insurers about coverage of breastfeeding equipment (including PUMPS) and lactation care, and a Q & A section.

Need Assistance?
Your Local Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite Regional Coordinator can share information and offer assistance!

Click here for map and contact information (Update coming soon -- try a rep from another region if yours is difficult to reach)

OSDH WIC Public Service Announcements about working and breastfeeding:

"WIC Employer - Childcare Support" -- English:
https://youtu.be/pUk5cxByJSU

"Support Breastfeeding, It's Worth It" -- English:
http://www.ok.gov/health/multimedia/PRHD-v9%209246%20Breastfeeding_CC_approval_3.mov

"Support Breastfeeding, It's Worth It" -- Spanish:
http://www.ok.gov/health/multimedia/PRHD-v3%209246%20Breastfeeding_spnsh_OpenCC_3.mov

"Support the Breastfeeding, Working Mother" – English: http://www.ok.gov/cmsfiles/wic/support.html

Page built by ACM 2015; last updated 2/27/18 by RMP.