Breastfeeding women at work: Checklist for leaders

What can you do?

• Before a new mother returns to work, let her know that her breastfeeding or expressing needs will be supported and offer a confidential discussion as part of a KIT day or return-to-work induction.
• Display the NEU’s Supporting breastfeeding women at work posters in your workplace.
• Read the NEU Breastfeeding women at work model policy.
• Share the material with your SLT and discuss the benefits of having such a policy in place: reduced sick days, improved wellbeing and better performance to name but a few. Remember to discuss your duty of care as an employer.
• Adjust the policy to suit your education setting through negotiation; for guidance, use the process set out in the trade union recognition agreement, if you have one.
• Assess the risks to women of childbearing age as part of your general workplace risk assessment. Carry out an individual risk assessment before or immediately after a breastfeeding mother returns to work from maternity leave, covering her specific needs. You can make use of the NEU Breastfeeding women at work model risk assessment (available at neu.org.uk/maternity).
• Provide a private, clean, safe space for breastfeeding mothers to rest and to breastfeed or express breastmilk and fridge space for women to store expressed breastmilk.
• Support requests for paid breastfeeding breaks: reasonable adjustments to the working day enable breastfeeding mothers to rest and to breastfeed or express breastmilk at convenient times.
• Provide appropriate cover where a woman needs an extended morning, midday or afternoon break to fully express her breastmilk.
• Build in suitable breaks for breastfeeding women at work between the ordinary school or college day and other activities such as clubs, parent evenings and meetings.
• Make sure that breastfeeding women are able to leave work on time to avoid discomfort, engorgement or infection.
• Protect teachers’ PPA time; breastfeeding teachers should not be asked to use their PPA time to rest, breastfeed or express breastmilk.
• Insert the school/college name in the policy and make sure it is included in the employee handbook or equivalent.