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Do you want change with that?: Identifying lactation needs and solutions in academic libraries
- 1. Do you want change with that? Identifying lactation needs and solutions in academic libraries Welcome by laboratorio linux. CC BY SAA private place by Peter Lee. CC BY Heather Seibert, National Heritage Academy seechangedo@gmail.com Amanda Vinogradov, East Carolina University vinogradova@ecu.edu
- 2. Why Bother?
- 4. Recognition Chancellors Committee on the Status of Women Committee on Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Students and Employees Faculty Senate Staff Senate Office of Equity and Diversity Nancy Darden Child Development Center ECU Lactation Committee Space Planning Human Resources Disclaimer: Today we will be talking about our personal experiences and resulting contributions to the many accomplishments across campus. We by NO MEANS did this alone!
- 5. 2012 2012 • Contacted administration about lactation needs • Assigned a study room
- 6. Joyner Library’s first “lactation” room • 6 x 6 ft. space • Located in a lower traffic area • Near a bathroom • Available between 8am-5pm M-F
- 7. 2013 2012 • Contacted administration about lactation needs • Assigned a study room 2013 • Research including FMLA, ACA, FLSA, OSHA, room design standards, peer accommodations, and best practice guidelines
- 8. 2013: Preliminary research 2013 • Workplace rights • 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act • Fair Labor Standards Act, amended section 7 • Family and Medical Leave Act • Environmental scan • Comparison to peer institutions within the state
- 9. 2013: Preliminary research 2013 • Literature review • Workplace lactation support • Design standards for lactation rooms • Return On Investment • Developing a business case for lactation support at ECU • ECU’s desired brand
- 10. 2014 2012 • Contacted administration about lactation needs • Assigned a group study room 2013 • Research including FMLA, ACA, FLSA, OSHA, room design standards, peer accommodations, and best practice guidelines. 2014 • Creation of a Joyner Library Lactation Room
- 11. 2014: Room Proposal 2014 • March 12, 2014 • Proposed creation of lactation room at Joyner Library to Human Resources Rep, SPA President, and AD • March 21, 2014 • Provided research and guidelines to Staff Senate representative to bring to Staff Senate • August 19, 2014 • Meeting requested with West Campus representative for information on lactation rooms. • Late 2014 • Change in Staff Shared Governance at Joyner Library
- 12. 2015 2012 • Contacted administration about lactation needs • Assigned a group study room 2013 • Research including FMLA, ACA, FLSA, OSHA, room design standards, peer accommodations, and best practice guidelines. 2014 • Creation of a Joyner Library Lactation Room 2015 • Lactation areas created on West Campus – Room vs. Best Practices (2014/2015) • FOR US: This topic was not closed, and not settled
- 13. 2015 2015 • Elected Staff Representative for Staff Senate • HR Chair Elect • Spoke Directly with the Chancellor • Nominated and Selected to serve on the Chancellors Committee for the Status of Women • Joined the Pregnancy and Parenting Students and Employees Committee • Talked to everyone and anyone about lactation needs on campus
- 14. 2016 2012 •Contacted administration about lactation needs •Assigned a group study room 2013 •Research including FMLA, ACA, FLSA, OSHA, room design standards, peer accommodations, and best practice guidelines. 2014 •Creation of a Joyner Library Lactation Room 2015 •Lactation areas created on West Campus – Room vs. Best Practices (2014-2015?) •FOR US: This topic was not closed, and not settled 2016 •Elected Staff Chair of CCSW •Established an Official Lactation Committee to oversee lactation rooms on campus
- 15. 2018-2019 2018 •Creation of the Women's and Gender Resource Office on Campus •Lactation Committee began looking for a new place to "settle" •Decided to get our story 2019 •Lactation Committee found a permanent home 2018-2020 •Ideabook for the Library Workplace
- 16. ECU Community: Working Together 2014-2018 NINE lactation rooms E/W campus Audit of Lactation Rooms Donations from Corporate Sponser Mini Fridges for Lactation rooms Lactation rooms added to ECU map Official HR Policy for Lactation Accommodations Three Breastfeeding Friendly awards Recognized by the NC Breasting Coalition (NCSC)and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Survey of Use Updating of Décor and Furnishing LAUNC-CH Lightning Talk Gender to a Tea Forum Optimizing Outcomes in Challenging Situations exhibit New ECU Lactation Support Regulation Universal Signage White boards added for usage Upcoming ALA Publication
- 20. Joyner Library Lactation Room
- 21. We are not finished yet! Flyers made for Lactation Rooms and accommodation requests Targeted training for Administration and Supervisors Increased website visibility/ pictures & detailed maps Increased response time from keyholders Further lactation accommodations (24 months?) Additional Lactation Rooms TRAINING!
- 22. Poll How long would it take you to walk to the closest lactation room from your desk or service area? A) 0-5 minutes B) 5-10 minutes C) +10 minutes D) I’m not sure E) My worksite does not have a lactation room
- 23. Let’s talk about barriers Barrier By phtorxp CC0 • Space • Social Stigma • Employee classification • Committee focus • Don’t do “good enough” • Hostility (it will happen) • Lack of training and education • Good intentions
- 24. How to help RESEARCH Best practices and strive to be the BEST Identify the barriers to lactation support within your own institution and departments BE INCLUSIVE Ensure all stakeholders are involved in decision-making Don’t forget students, visiting researchers, staff, faculty and others should have access GET INVOLVED Join committees, task forces, contribute to new hire materials and campus regulations. Get outside of your area Communication & Caution KNOWLEDGE before ADVICE – Don’t be part of the problem. Be part of the conversation! CONVERSATION Keep it going!
- 25. Why Bother?
- 27. Resources Beth, D., Branch, H., Holloway, B., & Sullivan, C. (2013). Eat Smart North Carolina: Businesses Leading the Way in Support of Breastfeeding. N.C. Division of Public Health, Nutrition Services Branch and Community & Clinical Connections for Prevention & Health Branch, Raleigh, NC. Retrieved from https://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/Breastfeeding/Texts/ESMM_BreastfeedingGuide-PrintRes.pdf Breastfeeding in Combat Boots. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com/ Mason G, Roholt S. 2006. Promoting, Protecting and Supporting Breastfeeding: A North Carolina Blueprint for Action. North Carolina Division of Public Health, Raleigh, NC. Retrieved from https://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/ESMMPlan/Texts/breastfeeding_plan.pdf Miller, S. (2012). Ensure Compliance with Reform Law's Lactation Room Requirements. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr- topics/benefits/pages/lactationroom.aspx Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, City and County of San Francisco. (2017). Lactation in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://sfgov.org/olse/lactation-workplace Office of State Human Resources, North Carolina. (2010). Lactation Support Policy. Retrieved from https://files.nc.gov/ncoshr/documents/files/Lacation_Support_Policy.pdf Office of Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Business Case for Breastfeeding. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-home-work-and-public/breastfeeding-and-going-back-work/business-case Slavit W, editor. (2009). Investing in Workplace Breastfeeding Programs and Policies: An Employer’s Toolkit. Washington, DC: Center for Prevention and Health Services, National Business Group on Health. Retrieved from https://www.businessgrouphealth.org/pub/?id=f2ffe4f0-2354-d714-5136-79a21e9327ed Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor. (Revised 2018). Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm York, L. (2008). Lactation Room Design. Retrieved from http://www.breastfeeding.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/18.-LSE-AIA-Lactation-Room-Design.pdf
- 28. Bibliography Bai, Y. K., Wunderlich, S. M., & Weinstock, M. (2012). Employers' readiness for the mother-friendly workplace: An elicitation study. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 8(4), 483-491. Bettinelli, M. E. (2012). Breastfeeding policies and breastfeeding support programs in the mother's workplace. Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, 25(SUPPL.4), 73-74. Bhutta, Z. A., Das, J. K., Rizvi, A., Gaffey, M. F., Walker, N., Horton, S., . . . Black, R. E. (2013). Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: What can be done and at what cost? The Lancet, 382(9890), 452-477. Earle, A., Mokomane, Z., & Heymann, J. (2011). International perspectives on work-family policies: Lessons from the world's most competitive economies. Future of Children, 21(2), 191-210. Gupta, A., Holla, R., Dadhich, J. P., Suri, S., Trejos, M., & Chanetsa, J. (2013). The status of policy and programmes on infant and young child feeding in 40 countries. Health Policy and Planning, 28(3), 279-298. Hendricks, K. M. (2010). Healthcare reform boosts breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine : The Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 5, 265-268. Heinig M.J., Follett J.R., Ishii K.D., Kavanagh‐Prochaska K., Cohen R. & Panchula J. (2006) Barriers to compliance with infant‐feeding recommendations among low‐income women. Journal of Human Lactation 22(1), 27– 38. Heymann, J., Raub, A., & Earle, A. (2013). Breastfeeding policy: A globally comparative analysis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 91(6), 398-406. Johnston, Marina L. et al. (2007). Barriers and Facilitators for Breastfeeding Among Working Women in the United States. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 36 (1), 9-20. Kramer, Michael S., & Kakuma, Ritsuko. (2012). Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD003517. Noonan, M. C., & Rippeyoung, P. L. F. (2011). The economic costs of breastfeeding for women. Breastfeeding Medicine, 6(5), 325-327. Tuttle, C. R., & Slavit, W. I. (2009). Establishing the business case for breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine, 4(SPECIAL ISSUE), S59-S62. Tuttle, C. R. (2010). Defining a new infant feeding paradigm and refocusing research to increase employer promotion of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine : The Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 5, 227-228. Wambach, K., Campbell, S. H., Gill, S. L., Dodgson, J. E., Abiona, T. C., & Heinig, M. J. (2005). Clinical lactation practice: 20 years of evidence. Journal of Human Lactation, 21(3), 245-258. Witters-Green, R. (2003). Increasing breastfeeding rates in working mothers. Families, Systems, & Health, 21(4), 415-434. doi:10.1037/h0089617
Editor's Notes
- So , first we will start with an introduction 24 years ago, I had my first baby, I was young, I was unsure of what to do, but I knew I wanted to nurse her but was working full time. I approached my employer, (I need to note that she was a woman here) that gave me 15 minutes every 4 hours to pump in a 5x5 ft bathroom. Needless to say, after 4-5 months, I could never sustain for her, and I had to quit in helplessness and frustration. 18 years and 2 additional children after she was born my co-worker, Amanda and I, found we were pregnant at the same time. Her daughter Zoe, and my son , Silas were born 3 months apart. We both knew we wanted to nurse, both of us wanted accommodations, and I can say, and all the research we have done, I think , you might understand my surprise on how things had changed, or not changed in those past 18 years. What is included in our presentation today began solely as research and then changed into a call to action.
- Before we begin, we do want to say we did not do this alone. We realize that there are many people on campus who have seen the need for, and worked toward improving lactation services on campus
- Amanda and I are not big on self promotion or self nominations, so, we wanted to be sure that we recognize that there have been various committees, organizations and entities working across campus on this topic. This is one of the blessings and curses of Academia. We have everyone working toward the same goal, but it sometimes takes us a while to realize that there are others who are out there that are working on something from a different angle. But when things start coming together, changes happen and I think this can clearly be seen in the changes in lactation accommodations at East Carolina University. Since this is the case, Amanda and I would like to make sure that everyone realizes that these are only through our personal experiences and contributions to this effort on campus.
- In 2012, Amanda and I approached our administration letting them know that we would need lactation accommodations when we returned from our time out on FMLA. We were assigned a study room on the 3rd floor of Joyner library. to At the time of this assigned room there were two lactation rooms available and accessible on ECU’s campus. One on West Campus, another in Old Cafeteria (We didn’t even know about this room until after we had stopped nursing) 2 lactation rooms for an average of 30000
- We were provided with a student study room that we were able to lock from 8-5 during the week. However, outside of those hours we were sharing this space with the public and all that that entails. There was little help from the university as a whole in terms of resources or information, so we started doing research ourselves as to what rights we might have under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. As we were doing this research, we were cleaning the publicly used study room [and I will just leave it to your imaginations as to what we might have had to clean out of one of those rooms and off of the counter and chair], repeatedly repaired damage to our privacy screens, and stayed in constant contact with our wonderful building operations staff who were just as frustrated as we were and did a great job trying to help us. Before we switch slides, I just want to mention a couple of now humorous anecdotes. I actually answered several reference questions while using this room as the sign said “staff use only” and desperate students looking for help would come frantically knocking on the door. This was not ideal for what I was trying to get accomplished during my breaks. Also, one time I went to use the room and a faculty member (who shall remain nameless as the who isn’t important) they had taken over the room, moved all of their books and papers inside, and locked the door with a sign notifying us that they would be occupying the room for a week. I think at that point I just went home. And I will say that was resolved very quickly and it was just a miscommunication, so really no hard feelings. I just thought that giving examples of some of the varied difficulties we encountered would be interesting.
- Heather Because there was little help from the university in terms of official policies or regulations or guidelines, we started doing research ourselves. This was just us trying to figure out our situation with no clear goal in mind, other than that we felt stuck in a situation that really wasn’t working for anyone involved.
- We discovered that the ACA had amended sections of the Fair Labor Standards Act to require certain employers to allow breaks to express breastmilk and to also provide a space, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion. We then reviewed legal interpretations and case studies to get a sense of how NC organizations were adapting their workplace policies and spaces to accommodate the ACA and the changes it had made to the FLSA. We also started making comparisons between ECU and peer institutions across the state, including other UNC system schools. We did this at first out of curiosity, but it quickly became clear that ECU had fallen behind the majority of the schools in the state in terms of lactation accommodations and support. These schools had easily found rooms on their websites, with lists of room amenities, methods of room access, and links to their campus policies. It was really impressive and honestly a little depressing when we looked at our own campus and situation.
- So, something you should know about us, when we get stressed or encounter resistance, we respond like anyone else would and open up about 50 tabs to every resource we have available to us at the library and spend all of our lunch breaks and down time searching for evidence-based research. barriers that ECU had unintentionally created for working mothers. And something that we’ve both learned, is that as much as we might want people to do something just because it’s the right thing to do, it’s frequently more effective to present information in terms of measures that an institution cares about or keeps track of. And a lot of times those measures are financial. We wanted to show people that this was something that would not just address a need but would benefit the university overall. So we started gathering evidence demonstrating that workplace lactation support reduced absenteeism, reduced use of sick leave, and improved employee retention and morale. There are a lot of information out there showing how beneficial these programs are for businesses. And that the small cost of devoting a space and resources to lactation accommodations was more than made up for with improvements in these various measures. We were also interested in ECU’s desired image, which our understanding at the time was that ECU wanted to position itself as supportive and accepting of nontraditional students, adult learners, and also our student veteran population. And most universities want to be seen as family friendly and as an integral part of the local community. And this desired image was completely at odds with the lack of resources on campus for nursing mothers. So this seemed like a tremendous opportunity to not only satisfy a basic need for university employees, but to go a step further and look at best practices and strive to be the best in these accommodations over and above our peer institutions. This is already a niche that ECU is trying to occupy and it’s always easier to sell broad institutional changes when you are showing an opportunity for advancement and a furthering of the university’s mission rather than an attempt to meet minimum standards. It’s just really hard to get people excited about that. It’s hard to build a momentum around ‘meeting the bare minimum’. No one is especially enthused about being a part of that. Before I move on, I just want to point something out. We did this research, but I know without any doubt that there are women all over this campus and throughout its history that have had to do the same, exact, exhausting process in trying to advocate for themselves, their coworkers, and their families. There’s people out there just like us with folders full of [stuff just like this as they tried to figure out their rights and WHAT was right]. And we just want to acknowledge that unseen work that so many have done and all that they have contributed to progress on campus for us all. And that this research we’re discussing isn’t something exclusive to us.
- In early 2014, at a Joyner Library SPA Assembly meeting, we first proposed the creation of a lactation room within the library. Initially, we were just looking for a solution for the staff within our building, and so the proposal was for a room limited in use to Joyner Library staff. We met with some resistance to this idea.
- So naturally we provided all of our research, various best practice guidelines related to workplace support and room design, and peer institution comparisons to our Staff Senate Representative, our AD, and our Human Resources Representative. We weren’t entirely sure where this needed to go, but we knew it needed to go somewhere. [Heather] In august… we had a request from a representative from West Campus, who was working with space planning to add a lactation room on West Campus for the Health Sciences. We provided her with copies and materials that we had gathered, along with the laws and best practices, benefits and policies of our peer institutions across the United States. We met with and presented information to her based on the criteria needed to get those rooms added. *** This is important to note*** In late 2014, There was a change in Staff Shared Governance at Joyner Library. We had a new Director, and with this new Director there came inclusion of the staff in meeting and decisions, and opened lines of communication provides staff with an avenue to express their concerns and a say in the way things are done at the library. This is one of the reasons that Amanda and I were able to continue to move forward with our work and research on this issue.
- Heather In late 2014-early 2015 we heard that there were indeed rooms added to Health Sciences West Campus. I know that it was a push to just get ANY space, and at that time, that was the main priority. So following best best practice guidelines from the NC Best Practices and OSHA were not the priority. However, to Amanda and I, the topic was not over, and not settled, there was still a lot more that needed to be done. I should also note here, that both Amanda and I gave up trying to pump for our children and provide milk for them during the day before we proposed the creation of the lactation room in Joyner Library in 2014.. At this point, it was pure stubbornness, and call for action, and needing to see change that we kept moving forward with what we wanted to see happen on campus.
- Heather There was a lot that happened in 2015, much to much to mention here, but a few things really got us moving. I was elected as Staff Representative for Academic Affairs for Staff Senate as well as HR Chair Elect. At this point I talked to everyone and anyone who would listen, freely or as a captive audience about lactation services on campus. I spoke directly with Chancellor while we were partnered to judge Exhibits during a History Day competition. I did let him know of the dire need for support and lactation services and on campus. I was nominated and served on the Chancellors Committee on the Status of Women, my first meeting I think, I brought up the need for more lactation support and lactation services on campus… and almost every meeting after that.. Much to the dismay and boredom of my colleagues. (I kid)… Kinda Every time I met with someone on campus, or even had a casual conversation with anyone from the office of equity and diversity, Student Affairs, women’s studies. you name it, I talked about lactation needs on campus.
- Heather In 2016, we even further. I was elected Staff Chair of chancellors committee on the status of Women and the first thing I did, was create an Official Lactation Committee to oversee and take part in all things lactation on campus. This current committee is headed up by a staff chair, Ginger Grimes, and a faculty chair, Kelli Russell,, who are amazing and have done so much since they started. We truely commend them for all their hard work.
- Heather In 2018 ECU created the Women’s and Gender Resource office on Campus. At that time the lactation committee started to look for a permanent home for the committee. This was due in part to the restructuring and repurposing of Chancellor’s Committee for the Status of Women. IN 2019, the Lacatation Committee found a permanent and value “home” under the umbrella of the Office of Equity and Diversity. It was in the Spring of 2018 that t Amanda and I, after various poster sessions and speaking at conferences about lactation accommodations, decided to get our story ”out there” Therefore, sent in a proposal to ALA- Nealu Shauman for an anthology on creating positive changes in the Library workplace. It was accepted. The book is now in publication and will be available in Jan, 2020 and will include our lactation change journey at ECU.
- Heather We now have NINE lactation and have been included on projected space planning for new buildings for additional lactation rooms. The Lactation Committee has conducted audits, have an active survey, created universal signage, white boards for usage, and presented posters at both ECU conferences and various other conferences that would include an interest in lactation accommodations. Donations of needed materials from an outside corporate sponsors have been given free for lactating mothers in the lactation rooms on both campuses There has been various collaborations with local companies and organizations with the Lactation Committee. There are mini fridges in each room, some donated, others purchased (Joyner Friends purchased the one in Joyner) There is a continuing updating of décor in the rooms on campus Many of the rooms have been recognized by the NC Breasting Coalition and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding action Three of the lactation rooms on campus have won Breastfeeding Friendly awards Amanda and I have presented posters as well as given talks at various conferences on finding space for Lactation services in academic libraries Lactation rooms added to the ECU map An OFFICIAL HR Policy for Lactation accommodations has been created and a website offers easy sign up for those accommodations. . The lactation committee is now officially housed in the Office of Equity and Diversity
- Heather New HR policy for mothers going out or who are on FMLA to request lactation accommodations HR will help find a room close by if a lactation room is not close or convenient, and they will make sure that they are given ample time to pump WHEN they need to pump on their timeline.
- Women and Gender Resources Office created and included lactation rooms on their official website.
- Heather We are located on the official ECU map, sometimes, I pull up the map just to geek out the fact that it is there!! And visible and accessible
- Heather Donations from from corporate sponsors added to all the lactation rooms Here is an example of one of our Breastfeeding Friendly workplace Awards
- Heather So, again, there is a lot more work to do here. Let’s look at that pie in the sky (that we are going to keep pushing for) Flyers for and about the lactation accommodations requests and services on campus Increased visibility on the maps, with pictures, and detailed directions to lactation rooms for everyone (I want a pirate port button) Increased response from keyholders in lactation (some reported issues that are being addressed) ECU Faculty Senate brought this forth and it was shot down (but I tend to think we should not quit) for lactation accommodation protection to be increased to 24 months and not just the 12 months allotted by law Additional lactation rooms are as needed And one of the greatest needs that still need to be met, and we will continue to advocate for, is the target training for administrators and supervisors when it comes to the needs and the sensitivity of lactation accommodations. The need to understand responsibilities and the commitment of ECU to have a diverse and welcoming environment is imperative and we believe by having this training this will help to elevate some of the misunderstanding, judgement and veiled criticisms that many lactating mothers are faced with when returning to work.
- [Amanda] Space So, let’s take a minute to talk about barriers to lactation support on campus that we encountered during our experiences that honestly still exist on campus. The first one—space. Someone can always come up with a reason to not devote space to a lactation room. And we understand, we’ve got limited room to work with on campus. But we have to physically exist in these buildings. And when these accommodations don’t exist, physically being here ends up being very difficult. And this isn’t just for employees, as there are students, visiting researchers, conference attendees, who need this space as well just to be in our campus buildings. [Heather] Social Stigma – Lets face it, the idea of breasts can be terrifying! The very word makes people uncomfortable. There is a very real stigma against breastfeeding mothers. We have seen it in social media, and we have seen it on campus. Over the past few years, we have talked to many lactating mothers on campus, and they all basically have the same story to tell. We were not taken seriously. We felt unsupported Lactation seemed like a “dirty” topic And surprisingly, and sadly, most of the blow back came not from men on campus but from women, due to general assumptions and lack of support. Even more so this was reported from women of color. This is not GOOD. [Amanda] Employee Classification This is somewhat dependent on your specific situation, department, even how your building is laid out. But just be aware that some classifications and types of jobs on campus may be more likely to have a cubicle rather than an office with a door, or they may be working a service desk, or they may have to clock out for breaks. That difference is important in terms of how people use space in our buildings and how they have to keep track of their time [?]. [I’m probably going to make some people mad….] A ten minute walk to a lactation room for a tenured faculty member is completely different from the experience of an SHRA employee who has to clock out for that entire process and likely has already exhausted all of their available leave time. And I just want to really further explain what I mean here because I do think a lot of people don’t know. So, in my experience an average pumping session is at the minimum 15 min. That’s different for everyone but let’s go with that minimum number. And let’s say it’s a five minute walk there and back, to a room. So ten minutes per session, plus 15. That’s already at 25 minutes per session. Let’s add about 5 minutes for set up, clean up, and storage. That really varies though, if you’ve ever tried to pour liquid into one of those Lanisoh bags it’s really an acquired technique, takes a lot of practice. But that brings us to about 30 minutes per session. The number of sessions you need to take in a work day varies, but let’s go with at a minimum 3 to prevent mastitis and low supply issues. Now, as an SHRA employee I get a lunch break. So that covers one session. I do get two 15 minute breaks…so those other two sessions have time that has to be accounted for somewhere else. That could be leave time…a lot of people don’t have any left when they come back. Could be working later or coming in earlier…again, some people may run into difficulty with that, especially with child care conflicts. Some people may get their pay reduced because they can’t work the hours to make up the time. And that’s a problem given how expensive childbirth is even with our health insurance. I know I was still paying it off a year later. My point here is that while I fully understand that this is how time is accounted for with SHRA employees and that this is policy, this REMAINS a significant barrier for many, many people, and my point in describing this for you in detail, is that it isn’t right. And that I don’t think people are truly aware of the kinds of pressures faced by employees returning from maternity leave. And I don’t pretend to know all of the difficulties that faculty members experience as I am sure there are all sorts of different pressures that y’all have to deal with as well and those also are significant barriers. But specifically for certain classes of employees, that close, careful accounting of time use and it’s relationship to use of space...that in particular is specific to SHRA employees. So now that I’ve made half of you mad, Heather will now discuss committees. [Heather] Committees: Committees are a blessing and curse on Academic Campuses. Many times committees are working independently toward the same goal. It is imperative that they communicate committees work together and collaborate to get things done. Otherwise we are all looking for way to do the same thing. [Amanda] Good enough Trying to do just enough to satisfy the law, meeting the bare minimum, is a barrier in and of itself. I think we encountered this in our own experiences, where honestly everyone involved was trying their hardest to make it work and it just didn’t. It just wasn’t the right solution. [Heather] Hostility There is and will be hostility. Of course this is due in part to the the Stigma issue. However, here is also the assumption that being given space and time for lactation is giving special treatment and services, yet, those needing lactation services don’t feel that way. When we nurse, it is not about anyone else, this only about our children. [Amanda] Lack of training and education Most of the time, people just need to be educated. This was maybe more true a few years ago but I think it still applies. When we were first looking into this, a lot of people weren’t even aware of the amended section 7 of the FLSA or what that entailed. [Heather] Good intentions There are a lot of people with very good intentions, and a lot of people that want to help with preconceived ideas of the way things should be. Please know, that donations like pumps, towels, privacy, space and support are always appreciated, but advice and tampons are not on the top of those needs. (although, there may be other projects that need those donations) Allow me to tell a quick story- Nurse 25 years only 3 months. During my time on the staff senate I was speaking with a sympathic colleague who happened to be a nurse of 25 years on West Campus. After giving her my elevator talk on the need for additional lactation support she told me how wonderful this information was. However She also disclosed to me, with great authority, that women need to know that after 4 months it is not necessary to breastfeed any longer. And let me know that this is what she tells her students and patients. For those of you who up to date lactation information, I am sure that you could feel internal cringe. Out of date information, although well intentioned, creates an atmosphere of confusion and perpualizes an environment that is unsupportive of those needing lactation accommodations.
- [Amanda] How to help. One of the best things you can do is to just start researching. Read the applicable laws and policies, but don’t settle for those minimum standards. Look into what other institutions are doing to really improve conditions, what standards and programs are considered best practice. Be inclusive. Something else you can do is work on being inclusive on campus and in daily life. Make sure everyone is involved in decision-making that needs to be involved. Have a variety of voices at the table. If they aren’t there, seek them out. Don’t forget groups of people that should have access but maybe aren’t covered or protected by official policy. [Heather] Get Involved Think about joining committees that support lactation services, Talk about Lactation accommodations to administration, be that support system for new mothers who choose to nurse after returning to work, regardless of their status. (Heather) Communications & Caution Please remember, know before you advise, we have had a lot of contact with many people who are very well intentioned. Be sure you are not part of the problem, instead be part of the conversation. [Amanda] And do keep talking to people, ask questions, bring up your concerns.
- Heather – So this is why we bother. That little girl I had 24 years ago is graduated from ECU. During her time at ECU she became a mother herself. She spent a lot of time in Joyner library, where she has needed a room to pump for my grandaughter. Therefore it is important for us to remember that these services, in the end are not just for us, Not even just for who we serve here in the present… it is a service to the future, a service that supports women and diversity, and a mission that should be part of any institution. Amanda:
- Thank you! Questions?