Open Place Offices Won't Stop You Nursing.

When an employee returns from maternity leave, she wants to be a productive and profitable employee and a good mother. But is this still possible in an open office space?

Open plan offices can be noisy, distracting, and unhygienic for a mother trying to express milk, especially if that woman wants to pump in private.

The only rooms available seem to be bathrooms, conference rooms or a storage closet. But often these can require needing to book the out with advance notice, can be unhygienic and cramped. Or worse of all, can’t be locked.

Employers love open plan spaces, a trend of traditional new office build or restructures are typically seeing more and more open plan spaces being utilised. They have been seen to save money, and typically increase productivity, collaboration and creativity. Which is great for the general employee and working environment, however after returning from maternity leave, nursing mothers often could be left out of the design.

One study found that 60% of women didn’t have access to a private space at work to express milk.¹ The health benefits for both mother and baby are well documented, so for these barriers to continue simply because of an office layout is unacceptable.

Pumping can be one of the most challenging aspects of the transition back into the workplace, especially when breaks, space and hygiene are concerned. New mothers need to express milk as often as they feed their child at home, which means 3-4 times during the typical workday. With at least 15 minutes per session for set up and cleaning.

At Lactl, we are accommodating for mothers who need to pump, whilst maintaining a multi-functional open plan space. Our privacy screens can be extended to corner off an area, and with an internal lock and handle are completely secure. When not in use, they can be retracted back into the base and the space will function as usual. To maintain your career and support your family is difficult to balance, so to feel as if the company cares about them and is attending to their needs is vital.

All moms deserve a private, clean and comfortable place to use a breast pump or breastfeed - anywhere, anytime.

Lactl Lactation Room Privacy Screen

Sources:

¹ https://www.whijournal.com/article/S1049-3867(15)00117-6/fulltext

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