What HR Directors Need To Know About Lactation Support and Health Reform
Robin Frees on HR compliance and breastfeeding support
By: Robin B. Frees IBCLC
HR Directors and Breastfeeding Support under the Health Reform Act
If you responsibilities include Human Resources, you face a dizzying array of legal changes and new regulations.
For that reason, you may not be aware of the changes taking place in the area or corporate lactation programs and
breastfeeding support in the work place.
This article briefly reviews this issue and the resources now available to both small and large companies who want to provide additional
support for breastfeeding in the work place.
Why be concerned?
First, the health reform act will soon require such programs for companies of fifty or more employees. And many small and large companies
already provide lactation programs for new mothers including: Patagonia, Cigna, The Department of Defense, as well as small firms including
family businesses and small professional practices.
In fact, even small companies can are finding that they can benefit from the establishment of these inexpensive and high ROI programs.
These programs have a very high return on investment by reducing absenteeism, lowering health care costs and reducing turn over rate.
They also improve your companies status as a family friendly corporation.
These programs can be as simple as providing a private
space to more complex series of benefits such as training, breaks, and space for nursing.
Since breast fed babies are clinically proven to be sick less often, the benefits are obvious.
The health reform bill also provides that companies of over fifty employees will be required to have such a support
program.
And, while the specific regulations have not yet been promulgated, savvy companies should be ahead of the curve and
should implement simple and inexpensive programs.
For more information about how your small or large company can begin to quickly, and
inexpensively implement a breast feeding support program that will give returns on
investment and make employees healthier and happier, please call Robin B. Frees, IBCLC
and a representative of the Business Case For Breastfeeding which is sponsored
by NewBorn Concepts.
You can reach Robin at 610-644-1379 for your free tool kit, and consultation on
corporate lactation for your employees.
robin@newbornconcepts.com
If your company is in the Philadelphia area please call for more information.