by Amy Spangler
May 29, 2008

An Indiana law, scheduled to take effect July 1, 2008, will require employers to “make reasonable efforts to provide accommodations for women to collect and store breast milk during the workday.” This includes providing a private space, “other than a toilet stall,” for employees to pump breast milk, as well as access to a cold place to store the milk such as a refrigerator or cooler. Indiana is one of a number of states that have adopted legislation related to worksite breastfeeding support.

The Indiana law applies to all government agencies as well as businesses that employ 25 people or more.

Breastfeeding advocates, including those from the Indiana Perinatal Network, have long argued that such laws are cost-effective because they save businesses money by reducing employee absenteeism, lowering health care costs, and increasing employee retention. In a new toolkit from The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services titled, The Business Case for Breastfeeding, similar arguments are made for how a breastfeeding friendly worksite contributes to a company’s return on investment (ROI)—perhaps the bottom line and babies’ bottoms have more in common than you think.

Passage of the bill is only the first step. Like many breastfeeding laws, there is no enforcement component—no, “Do it or else!” But if the presence of a law prompts even one business to better accommodate its breastfeeding employees, then the law has served a purpose.