The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has posted a Request for Information (RFI) from breastfeeding employees, employers, and knowledgeable breastfeeding advocates to help them better understand:
- Specific space and time problems
- Specific space and time solutions
In particular the DOL is looking for problems and solutions related to:
- Lactation stations located in a space adjoining a bathroom
- Lactation stations located in a locker room
- Lactation stations in manager’s or supervisor’s office or a co-worker’s private work space
- Lactation stations located in a space also used for other purposes, such as a storage closet
- A lactation station shared between several businesses (shopping mall, large office building)
- A shared lactation station due to a) scheduling issues with limited space, b) one space where several workers would express milk together
- Breastfeeding employees who are mobile workers (police officers, bus/taxi/delivery drivers, water meter readers, etc.)
- Breastfeeding employees who work in various client sites away from the home office (sales reps or consultants)
- Breastfeeding employees who work out-of-doors (farm or construction workers)
Tips for writing: Be brief, professional, and to the point. Your comment will become part of the public record, posted on the internet, available for all to read (including the employer being described). You may prefer to describe conditions at a particular job or worksite without identifying the employer.
Problem example:
“The lactation station was in a former shower stall adjoining a bathroom, but because the door didn’t reach the floor and the ceiling, it did not feel sanitary or private.”
Solution example:
“A lactation station in a secure area, inside a lounge adjoining the bathroom, worked for me because it was cleaned regularly, and felt safe.”