Employer Guide - WORKFEED

The Employers’ Guide

The employer guide aims to help employers support their breastfeeding employees, providing information useful for both HR professionals and line managers. This guide was developed from and draws on evidence from the Maternal wellbeing, infant feeding and return to paid work study funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The study showed that HR professionals and Line Managers often lacked awareness of the practicalities and how best to support breastfeeding employees. The guide provides information on specific needs of breastfeeding mothers, legal obligations, best practice and practical solutions. It includes guidance on workplace policy, communication and how to facilitate inclusive conversations concerning infant feeding.

The guide was written by Professor Sylvia Jaworska and Professor Sarah Jewell (members of the study team) with Sally Rickard IBCLC, an international board certified lactation consultant (the gold-standard professional qualification in breastfeeding, globally recognised).

You can download the guide as a single PDF:

Or view the guides as individual web pages:

Employer Guide 1: Benefits of Supporting Breastfeeding Employees

Employer Guide 2: Breastfeeding and the Workplace

Employer Guide 3: Employer Legal Obligations

Employer Guide 4: Best Practice – how can you help?

Employer Guide 5: Common Workplace Challenges

Employer Guide 6: Example Breastfeeding Policy

Employer Guide 7: Health and Safety Risk Assessments

Employer Guide 8: Communication Pathway

Employer Guide 9: Useful Resources

© The University of Reading is the owner and the licensee of all intellectual property rights for the ‘Mother’s Guide to Combining Breastfeeding and Return to Paid Work’, and ‘Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in the Workplace’ guides. You are encouraged to download, share, copy, and redistribute these guides in any medium or format. You must give credit and provide a reference to the Workfeed website (we encourage you to link to this website, as guides will be updated periodically). You may not sell these guides or use them for commercial purposes. You may not remix, transform, or edit the guides in any way. All publicity, privacy, and moral rights are reserved.

The information provided in these guides (the “Information”) is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. While reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, the Information may not reflect the most current legal or medical developments. The Information should not be interpreted as substituting medical consultation or professional legal advice and should not be relied upon to make medical decisions (or otherwise). You should always obtain medical professional or specialist advice before taking (or refraining from taking) any action on the basis of the Information. The University of Reading disclaims liability for actions taken based on the Information.

The ‘Maternal wellbeing, infant feeding and return to paid work’ research study was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social wellbeing. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare, and Justice. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. The Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation.

Bluesky: @nuffieldfoundation.org; LinkedIn: Nuffield Foundation; Website: nuffieldfoundation.org