Mobile County Health Department Urges Employers to Support Breastfeeding Workers
The Mobile County Health Department is asking employers to provide private lactation spaces and support for nursing mothers during National Breastfeeding Month.
With August marking National Breastfeeding Month, the Mobile County Health Department and community partners are urging local employers and organizations to better support nursing mothers on the job.
MCHD’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program provides breastfeeding education, peer counseling and in-person support for mothers and families throughout Mobile County. The department says a truly supportive workplace includes reasonable break time and a private, safe and comfortable space where employees can express breast milk, noting that a bathroom or closet does not meet that standard. Federal workplace protections require employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space, other than a bathroom, for eligible nursing employees to pump at work.
“Women are an essential part of our workforce, our families, and our community,” said Dr. Kevin Michaels, Mobile County’s Health Officer. “Supporting mothers who choose to breastfeed is a practical investment in the health and well-being of families and in the strength of our local workforce and community.”
MCHD is encouraging businesses, agencies and community organizations to review their workplace policies, identify appropriate lactation spaces and build a culture that supports working mothers, saying simple, thoughtful accommodations can help mothers and babies thrive.
Federal Protections for Nursing Workers
The federal break-time requirement was first added to the Fair Labor Standards Act in 2010. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, signed into law in December 2022, extended those protections to millions of workers who had not been covered before, including many salaried employees. Under the law, covered employees are entitled to reasonable break time and a private space shielded from view, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk for up to one year after a child’s birth. Employers with fewer than 50 employees can be exempt if meeting the requirements would cause undue hardship.
