For the first time in history, women make up more than half the workforce. However, since the pandemic, the number has declined due to the challenges faced from childcare. Today, new mothers in the United States are required to be their own best advocates in the workplace if their employers are not supportive of pregnancy and motherhood. Therefore, it’s so important for employers to look at benefits for not only maternity leave, but for post-maternity leave.

As of 2019, only one in four moms report having a dedicated lactation room in their workplace. Many employers don’t even realize they have a problem until it’s too late. Understanding the importance of a mother’s room and how it is designed is vital to employed mothers.

The pandemic has forced employers to reimagine workplaces with greater focus on retaining top talent and often times, working mothers are thought of last.

 

Although the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) states that companies with 50 or more employees are required to provide a place other than a bathroom that is shielded from view and free from intrusion, there is no regulation or specification on design requirements. Many of the times, the spaces where women are advised to pump are afterthoughts. A pumping room should be a cozy and relaxing environment. After all, when a mother is stressed, less milk is expressed.

A 50-square foot room can meet accessibility requirements if it accommodates a 5-foot turning radius. The room should at a minimum include a chair, tabletop, sink and refrigerator. The tabletop or working surface should be at least 24 inches deep to accommodate for bottles, pumping equipment and a laptop. The walls and ceilings should be constructed to have acoustics in mind. The door should be solid and not include any windows for privacy and if they do, window film or curtains should be added.

On a higher scale, larger companies are now creating lactation programs and initiatives in lieu of solely the standard lactation room. These spaces are being considered more as wellness rooms and will include amenities such as waiting areas, comfortable seating, lockers and industrial-grade breast pumps. These wellness spaces are flexible and multi-purpose, doubling as a meditation room or quiet space. Other companies are provided with tenant shared amenities that include full-service lactation suites that even consist of high-end locker rooms, private rooms and lactation consultants.

The pandemic has forced employers to reimagine workplaces with greater focus on retaining top talent and often times, working mothers are thought of last. We want to remove barriers for nursing mothers and increase the likelihood that new parents will return to work and advance their careers.

Understanding the importance of a mother’s room and how it is designed is vital to employed mothers.

There are many ways to go about meeting the needs of working mothers. Some corporate buildings may have third party companies for their tenant’s convenience and smaller companies may opt for a conversion of a private office so that the space can have dual purpose while still prioritizing the mother. A great example is our own JZ office (below). Using privacy film and adding a refrigerator along with educating staff, the work environment can be a great place for all nursing mothers.

 

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JZ Design Group is capable of multidisciplinary design and architecture, with a team ready to take on any challenge. We bring quality, care and extensive experience to each project and look forward to our future opportunities.