Breastfeeding facilities

It's recommend that employers provide suitable facilities for expressing milk – if this isn't the case in your physiotherapy workplace, your CSP rep can support negotiations

Employers should provide appropriate facilities for breastfeeding employees

Breastfeeding and work

Your employer is obliged to provide pregnant staff and nursing mothers with facilities to lie down and close proximity to toilets.

If you are breastfeeding, you may wish or need to express milk while at work. Hopefully the rest facilities provided by your employer will be suitable for this.

If not, you or your CSP safety rep may be able to negotiate suitable facilities for expressing milk. If there is no dedicated space for this, you could ask to use a first aid room, spare office or any private room, preferably with a lockable door. Toilets are not suitable.

The Health and Safety Executive recommends that employers provide:

  • access to a private room where women can breastfeed or express breast milk
  • use of secure, clean refrigerators for storing expressed breast milk while at work
  • facilities for washing, sterilising and storing receptacles
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