4.13 Supporting Breastfeeding Policy
Part 1. Purpose
In recognition of the well documented health advantage of breastfeeding for infants and mothers, Central Lakes College (CLC) provides a supportive environment to enable breastfeeding employees, students, and visitors to express their milk while at CLC. This includes a college-wide lactation support program administered by the Campus Welcome Center. This policy shall be communicated to all current employees, included in new hire orientation training and is available on CLC website.
Part 2. College Responsibilities
Breastfeeding employees who choose to continue providing their milk for their infants after return to work shall receive:
A. Milk Expression Breaks
Breastfeeding employees are allowed to breastfeed or express milk during work hours using their normal breaks and meal times. For time that may be needed beyond the usual break times, employees may use personal leave or may make up the time as negotiated with their supervisors.
B. A Place to Express Milk
A private room will be available for employees to breastfeed or express milk. The room will be private and sanitary, located near a sink with running water for washing hands and rinsing out breast pump parts, and have an electrical outlet. If employees prefer, they may also breastfeed or express milk in their own private offices, or in other comfortable locations agreed upon in consultation with the employee’s supervisor. Expressed milk can be stored in designated refrigerators provided in the lactation room or other location in employee’s personal cooler.
C. Breastfeeding Equipment
The employee will use their personal breast pump throughout the course of breastfeeding.
D. Education
Prenatal and postpartum breastfeeding classes and informational materials are available for all mothers and fathers, as well as their partners.
E. Staff Support
Supervisors are responsible for alerting pregnant and breastfeeding employees about the college’s worksite lactation support program, and for negotiating policies and practices that will help facilitate each employee’s infant feeding goals. It is expected that all employees will assist in providing a positive atmosphere of support for breastfeeding employees.
Part 3. Employee Responsibilities
A. Communication with Supervisors
Employees who wish to express milk during the work period shall keep supervisors informed of their needs so that appropriate accommodations can be made to satisfy the needs of both the employee and the College.
B. Maintenance of Milk Expression Areas
Breastfeeding employees are responsible for keeping milk expression areas clean, using anti-microbial wipes to clean the pump and area around it. Employees are also responsible for keeping the general lactation room clean for the next user. This responsibility extends to both designated milk expression areas, as well as other areas where expressing milk will occur.
C. Milk Storage
Employees should label all milk expressed with their name and date collected so it is not in advertently confused with another’s employee’s milk. Each employee is responsible for proper storage of her milk using college provided refrigerator/personal storage coolers.
Part 4. Use of Break Times to Express Milk
When more than one breastfeeding employee needs to use the designated lactation room, employees can use the sign-in log provided in the room to negotiate milk expression times that are most convenient or best meet their needs.
Part 5. Student and visitor use.
Central Lakes College also provides a supportive environment for students and visitors to enable breastfeeding and to express milk while at CLC. All students and visitors shall comply with the above guidelines as applicable.
Reference: Minnesota Statute 181.939 Nursing Mothers
Date of implementation/Presidential Approval: 2/11/2019
Date of last review: 1/27/2021