Supervisors play a critical role in supporting employees who are returning to work and pumping. By ensuring proper accommodations and offering a supportive work environment, you help lactating employees succeed. Below is a brief guide to understanding how you can best support them.
Key actions:
- Share resources before pregnancy disability and/or bonding leave.
- Review employee and student rights on Lactation Rights at Work, School and Public Settings.
- Listen to your employee's needs.
- Ensure access to necessary resources (e.g., sinks for washing pump parts, refrigerators for storing milk).
- For any questions, contact lactationprogram@ucsf.edu.
What Lactating Employees Need
Lactating employees and students have rights and require specific accommodations to express milk in a safe, comfortable environment. These include:
- Space: A private, clean room with electricity and seating. Our program offers over 90 lactation rooms, most equipped with multi-user pumps.
- Support: Respect and encouragement from supervisors and colleagues.
- Time: Flexible breaks to express milk as needed. The frequency of breaks may vary, so be responsive to each employee's needs.
- Other accommodations: Employees may be requested another reasonable accommodation to address the their health.
Best Practices for Supervisors
To ensure your employees feel supported, here are some best practices:
- Inform employees early: Communicate with employees about lactation accommodations before they go on leave, and at least one month before their return.
- Create a culture of respect: Foster an environment where lactating employees feel comfortable discussing their needs.
- Ensure coverage: Make sure there is coverage during lactation breaks to support both patient-facing and administrative roles.
- Maintain open communication: Regularly check in with employees to ensure they can take their lactation breaks and address any concerns they may have. For example, ask, "Have you been able to take your lactation breaks today? How can I help?"
Resources for Patient-Facing Employees
Supervisors in patient-facing roles have additional resources available for supporting lactating employees:
- Lactation Credits for UCSF Health Clinicians
UCSF Health offers lactation support for clinicians, including wRVU support for one 30-minute lactation hold per half-day clinic session. Learn more here. - General Surgery Resident Lactation Fund
The UCSF Department of Surgery provides up to $500 for lactation equipment for residents returning to clinical duties. Learn more here. - Best Practices for Supporting Lactating Trainees
UCSF encourages departments to support lactating residents and fellows with lactation breaks, scheduling flexibility, and equipment support. Learn more here.
Additional Resources
