Lactation Room Numbers Are Growing
Katie Purcell
Work Life
Ohio State is striving to become a family friendly work environment and an employer of choice. University leaders already understand that Work Life initiatives are fundamental for improving faculty and staff satisfaction, commitment, performance, and retention—all while helping employees integrate their personal and professional lives.
One initiative is a partnership between the Office of Human Resources and the OSU Medical Center to increase the number of lactation rooms available to working mothers across campus. As an employer with a world-class medical center, it is important to promote health practices in the best interest of the child and mother. The President’s Cabinet approved a proposal in March 2006 that all newly designed and constructed buildings will include lactation space. The proposal also recommended that the university increase the number of lactation rooms in existing buildings through a zoned approach.
Approximately 10,500 faculty and staff on Ohio State’s main campus are women in their child bearing years. In an effort to recruit and retain these valuable employees, the goal is to have a private lactation space within a reasonable proximity (5–10 minute walk) to all areas on campus.
Increasing Lactation Spaces Around Campus:
- Aligns with the Work Life philosophy to support faculty, staff, and students as they pursue greater integration of work and personal life
- Supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation that mothers nurse for 12 months to maximize the benefits of breastfeeding
- Resolves issues created by current open work environments that are inconducive to the privacy required for breastfeeding
- Decreases absenteeism/presenteeism rates; working mothers with healthier babies as a result of breastfeeding will be more productive
- Increases employee commitment to and engagement with the university
Ohio State will continue to identify ideal campus sites for lactation based on geographic location and/or future renovation projects. To create or convert a lactation space in your building, contact Katie Purcell, Work Life specialist, at purcell.59@osu.edu or (614) 292-0583. For a listing or map of the 12 current lactation spaces on campus, go to hr.osu.edu/worklife/children.