Despite federal laws focused on improving workplace accommodations for breastfeeding, 1 in 3 parents say they lack reliable access to a dedicated lactation space at work, according to a July 29 report from Mamava and Medela.
However, 43% of parents are unaware of or unsure about the legal requirements under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act. Since 2023, the federal labor law has offered breastfeeding employees the right to a lactation space and reasonable break time to pump.
“Our survey results expose the reality that our society must do more to provide breastfeeding parents with the essential support and infrastructure they need,” Sascha Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Mamava, said in a statement. “Despite federal protections established by the PUMP Act, even the most committed breastfeeding parents face significant barriers.”
In a survey of 6,690 U.S. parents who were nursing or had breastfed in the last two years, 52% said one of their top breastfeeding challenges involved finding a place to pump or nurse on the go. After that, 47% said they didn’t have enough time for nursing or pumping breaks.
In addition, 1 in 3 parents said they lack reliable access to a dedicated space to pump at work, despite the law mandating it.
During National Breastfeeding Month in August, employers may consider their approach to breastfeeding as both a compliance and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issue, experts previously told HR Dive. Changing company culture to be more inclusive of breastfeeding parents could stop the “mass exodus” of caregivers from the workforce, they said.
Since the PUMP Act took effect, many employers have faced lawsuits. Employers can go beyond compliance concerns and find ways to make their workplaces more comfortable and accommodating, sources told HR Dive, either by adapting rooms in their offices into a proper wellness space or by instituting some kind of lactation pod for on-site work.
The Department of Labor has also worked to increase awareness of the PUMP Act and breastfeeding in general. After the PUMP Act went into effect, DOL worked to teach leaders across industries, including agriculture, retail, food service, teaching and transportation, to consider what can be done to empower breastfeeding employees.