Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor David J. Canepa
Supervisor Don Horsley
Subject: Worksite Lactation Rooms
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution requiring the implementation of worksite lactation rooms in all new County-owned buildings in which County employees will work.
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BACKGROUND:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of an infant’s life. Medical research has linked breastfeeding to several health benefits for both mother and child which includes decreased risks in obesity, childhood infections, and breast and ovarian cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2015, four out of five mothers started breastfeeding, but only about 25% were exclusively breastfeeding at six months. Under current and recently enacted California labor laws, every employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide break time to nursing employees who request to express breast milk in a location that is private, not a toilet stall or bathroom, and is in close proximity to the employee’s work area, among other requirements.
The County has supported workplace policies that promote breastfeeding through its lactation accommodation policies and its Worksite Lactation Program where County Departments provide lactation rooms or spaces, some of which exceed California mandates for lactation accommodations. At present there are approximately 32 San Mateo County worksites and counting that have a lactation room or space.
DISCUSSION:
The County is currently constructing, and planning to construct a number of capital improvements. In order to further promote the healthy practice of breastfeeding and to better accommodate and enable nursing county employees to do so, all County-owned buildings, in which County employees will work, that are designed and constructed after the passage of this resolution shall include at least one dedicated lactation room for every 300 County employees regularly stationed in the building.
Each worksite lactation room shall be equipped with features and amenities such as access to electrical outlets, nearby or in-room sinks with running water, refrigeration, locks or keycard access that may be programmed by ISD and locked from inside/ outside of room, a comfortable chair or sofa with a washable slipcover or material, a permanent sign outside the lactation room to indicate its location and whether it is currently in use by a nursing employee, and be free of toxic and hazardous materials. For buildings requiring multiple rooms, in lieu of having multiple rooms, the building may have a larger room dedicated to lactation with multiple privacy booths or partitions to allow for individual employee privacy.
The lactation rooms shall be dedicated to lactation and designated as such, however, each Department (or lactation coordinator) may permit the room to be used for other purposes when the room is not in use by a nursing employee, provided that the nursing employee is given priority, and that measures are taken to avoid inconvenience to nursing employees, such as scheduling measures, blocking days or periods of time when the room is anticipated to be used, staff/policy notifications, and/or restricting access to the room through keycard/locks.
The Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, hereby encourages and fully supports the implementation of similar worksite lactation rooms in all buildings within the County.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved this resolution as to form.
Approval of this resolution contributes to Shared Vision 2025 of a Prosperous Community by promoting inclusive, welcoming, and productive work environments and innovative measures that enhance the well-being of its diverse workforce and the community it serves.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of providing lactation rooms based upon cost study data provided by the PDU is currently estimated to be approximately $10,000-$20,000 per room including furniture. The additional cost of these rooms have been included in the projected cost for all projects currently managed by the PDU and this resolution will therefore not result in any additional net county cost. The net county cost associated with compliance with this resolution for future projects will depend on the number and size of the lactation rooms constructed and will be included in future fiscal year budgets.