Sometimes breastfeeding is a hard sell; it’s private, it’s political, and employers do not see a tangible benefit. A Rock Hill, South Carolina, coalition is helping its community develop a comfort level to discuss family-friendly policies and programs that provide lactation support for employees to address childhood obesity, employee retention and health care costs.
The coalition in Rock Hill includes a representative from the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department, as well as the public health department and a representative from the South Carolina Breast Feeding Coalition and local businesses. Their long-term goal is to increase the number of worksites that provide breastfeeding accommodations. To that end, coalition members are bringing city and business leaders together to discuss the business value of supporting breastfeeding. Their work is done in conjunction with the York County “Eat Smart, Move More” campaign.
At a recent workshop, Creating A Workplace Supportive of New Mothers - A Business Case for Breastfeeding, representatives from the local coalition partnered with Eat Smart Move More York County and local lactation consultants to share statistics and update businesses on best practices and labor laws regarding breastfeeding. The meeting focused on breastfeeding as a way to reduce obesity rates and thus ultimately reduce health care costs for employers. Employee morale, productivity, and retention were also emphasized.
The workshop targeted worksites with which the coalition had existing relationships, such as the faith community, a local Native American community, and the local school district, which, like most school districts, has a high percentage of female employees.
After the presentation, the participants in the workshop began small-group discussions on workplace issues that could arise and how to address them, including included sufficient break time and a private location to pump breast milk. Discussion included educating all employees on the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding. A human resources director participating in the workshop mentioned that providing breastfeeding support allows a company to market itself as family-friendly.
As labor law requires breastfeeding support in the workplace, many companies had been looking forward to the workshop and arrived ready to learn about implementation. The team plans to conduct the workshop again in the fall. Businesses that participate in the workshop are eligible to receive up to $1,000 to establish a lactation room.
The unique focus on economics, as well as health, will make inroads into a traditionally tough audience. The coalition in Rock Hill is confident that by bringing partners to the table, and creating a dialogue about breastfeeding, the community will be able to make some long term changes to confront obesity.