3.38 / Lactation Support for Nursing Mothers

Effective: March 07, 2011Revised: August 08, 2019

  1. Purpose

    The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance and procedures in creating a supportive environment for Employees who are nursing mothers.

  2. Policy

    Wichita State University (University) strives to create a workplace that is both productive and supportive of the needs of nursing mothers.

  3. Definitions

    (for the purposes of this policy)

    • Employee: An individual who, when hired, provides services on a regular basis in exchange for compensation, receives a W-2, and who does not provide these services as a part of an independent business.  This includes temporary and part-time Employees. For purposes of this policy, the Employee meets these criteria, and is a mother who is nursing a child for up to three (3) years after the birth of a child.

    • Lactation Room: A private space, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public.

    • Leadership: Leadership includes individuals at the University who have Employees reporting to them, or are Department Chairs/Directors.

  4. Administrative Procedure

    1. Departments make reasonable efforts to meet lactation needs of Employees.
      1. Access to a Lactation Room. Ideal locations are clean, maintain an appropriate temperature and ventilation, and are located near the work station with a comfortable chair, table or flat surface to hold a breast pump, locks for privacy, and includes at least one electrical outlet. Allowing access to a refrigerator, where available, is helpful. Departments may not designate a restroom (bathroom) as a Lactation Room.
      2. If a department is not able to provide an Employee with access to a Lactation Room, then the following is allowed:
        1. Reasonable time to travel to another building where a Lactation Room is located. Employees are not penalized for extra travel time needed to access the Lactation Room.
        2. Employees who work in multiple locations should make individual arrangements with those locations to access a Lactation Room or other room.
    2. Employees are allowed adequate use of break time, leave time, meal time, and/or a flexible schedule to utilize a Lactation Room for such needs as expressing milk, cleaning equipment, storing milk and other related activities. If extended or additional time is needed, the Employee must contact Leadership and may be required to use vacation or compensatory time, or unpaid leave if no paid leave time is available.
    3. Employees should contact Leadership to request work schedule variations in advance.
    4. Decisions about meeting Employee needs for lactation will be made on a case-by-case basis and such factors as the Employee’s work area, schedule and available alternative scheduling shall be considered in conjunction with University business needs.

  5. Related