World Breastfeeding Week

Learn how employers can use World Breastfeeding Week to promote awareness of breastfeeding in the workplace and support employees who are breastfeeding at work.

The value of supporting World Breastfeeding Week at work

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and promote action on themes related to breastfeeding.

For employers, the week provides an opportunity to promote awareness of breastfeeding in the workplace, share useful resources with employees and encourage conversations about breastfeeding at work.

Supporting employees who return to work while continuing to breastfeed offers significant benefits to workplaces:

• Retaining employees – staff are more likely to stay, reducing recruitment and training costs
• Boosting reputation – creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment strengthens your organisation’s reputation for supporting workforce wellbeing and social responsibility
• Saving money – support for breastfeeding can lead to fewer sick days due to healthier babies, while promoting sustainability and reducing long-term costs

Get involved in World Breastfeeding Week at work

Here are some ways you can celebrate World Breastfeeding Week in your workplace:

Promote breastfeeding in the workplace

Make sure employees are aware of the policies you have in place to support breastfeeding in your workplace.

Share information and resources

Share resources with employees throughout the week using your staff communications channels.

You can find advice, recommendations and case studies to share in our Breastfeeding in the Workplace Toolkit.

Encourage conversations

Create a safe space for employees to share their experiences with breastfeeding.

Doing this can help build awareness and promote positive attitudes towards breastfeeding in the workplace.

Breastfeeding in the workplace

Here are some ways you can embed breastfeeding support in your workplace:

Use HWW resources

Workplaces can use our free breastfeeding in the workplace resources, including our toolkit and toolbox talk. You can find these on breastfeeding support in the workplace resources page.

Our Breastfeeding in the Workplace Toolkit is designed to support employers across Wales in creating inclusive, family-friendly working environments that enable employees to continue breastfeeding when they return to work.

Our Breastfeeding Friendly Employer badge is available to organisations that have committed to creating a breastfeeding friendly workplace for employees.

Policies and handbooks

You should outline the support available for breastfeeding in the workplace. Include how employees can request accommodations when returning to work while breastfeeding. 

Make your policy available to all staff. You can add it to an existing policy or handbook and carry out regular reviews.

If you’re a smaller business, you may not need a formal policy. But it is still important to discuss breastfeeding support with employees.

Our Breastfeeding in the Workplace Toolkit also includes a breastfeeding charter. This document provides a clear framework for supporting breastfeeding parents in the workplace and employers can demonstrate their commitment to best practice by implementing its standards.

Our Breastfeeding Friendly Employer badge is available to organisations that have committed to the breastfeeding charter.

Communication and culture

It is good practice to discuss breastfeeding arrangements with returning employees. You can do this during ‘keeping in touch’ (KIT) days.

Our Breastfeeding in the Workplace Toolkit includes information about starting the conversation about breastfeeding at work.

Use staff communication channels to share information and promote workplace wellbeing campaigns. Doing this can help you promote a positive and inclusive culture.

Visit our campaigns and events section to find out more.

Find out more about breastfeeding support in the workplace.

Find out more

To find out how your workplace can get involved in World Breastfeeding Week and get resources you can use, visit the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) website.

To get updates about health and wellbeing campaigns throughout the year, sign up to our newsletter.

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