This guide provides practical information to help employers, HR professionals and line managers support breastfeeding employees. It 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 found that HR professionals and line managers often lacked awareness of the practicalities of supporting breastfeeding employees and and the support they may need in the workplace. Drawing on the experiences of mothers, HR professionals and line managers who took part in the study, together with expert input, this guidance provides information on the needs of breastfeeding employees, employers’ legal obligations, examples of best practice and practical solutions to support breastfeeding employees. It includes guidance on workplace policies, effective communication and facilitating inclusive conversations concerning infant feeding. Unless otherwise stated, quotes, examples and case studies used in the guides come from our Maternal Wellbeing, infant feeding and return to paid work study.
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).
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This guidance for employers has been designed as a series of individual guides, making it easier for users to access the information that is relevant to them. You can download the guide as a single PDF:
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