Where to place the private space?  Creative solutions to workplace constraints.

Women don't need a lot of room to express their milk.  A private, clean and secure space approximately 4x4 is adequate. While a modest room with a window, nice chair, power outlet and sink are ideal, this is not possible in many job sites.

Examples of creative solutions for pumping station locations:

  • Closets or storage space can be converted to pumping stations.
  • Private and secure conference rooms or empty offices can be rotated as needed.
  • In many cities, field inspectors and other patrolling workers use milk expression rooms in WIC offices and Health Departments.
  • Bus drivers and mail carriers in many cities express milk at city buildings or amenable businesses along their route.
  • Fire fighters can express milk in the ambulances brought to the scene and have the added advantage of cold storage.
  • Police officers can express milk in city buildings in the patrol area or in the patrol car, using screens and a plug adapter for the pump.
  • Small shops can make agreements with neighboring businesses. One local coffee shop employee expresses milk at a neighboring stationary store, for example.
  • Malls have been known to pool together resources to make a secure pumping station within the common employee-only area.

Please help build this list of ideas! If you are an employer, HR manager or employee with real world examples or theoretical solutions for a worksite or industry you know well, we'd like to hear from you!

An online form is being created for this, but in the meanwhile, please write information in the following format and send to the address below:

Sector

Industry

City and State

Employer name

Employer size

Real/applied or theoretical info based on knowledge of the workplace or industry?

Specific challenges to providing breaks

Specific (real or potential) solutions to providing breaks

Specific challenges to providing space

Specific (real or potential) solutions to providing space

Anything to share about the story -- who made this happen?

Is there a written policy?

If so, can you share the written policy?

Your contact info for more information

Send to:

Amelia Psmythe, BCO Director | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it