University of Alaska Anchorage

Administrative Servcies Manual
Policies and Procedures
Lactation Accommodations

1.0    Purpose 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 20I0 amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act to require employers to provide a nursing mother reasonable break time to express breast milk after the birth of her child. The amendment also requires that employers provide a place for an employee to express breast milk.

2.0    Policy

I. Responsibilities of EmpIoyees and Supervisors

     A. Employees

I. If you are a nursing mother and require a break to express milk during your normally scheduled working hours you need to coordinate the break period with your supervisor.

II. Under Alaska statutes, break periods of 20 minutes or less in duration are compensable, meaning this time counts as work time.

III. Employees may express milk in their office, if their office meets the space requirements below, any designated lactation rooms on campus, the Mamava lactation suite, or any other suitable space that is available in their work setting.

B. Supervisors

I. Supervisors must allow reasonable break time for an employee to express milk during their normal work schedule.  This accommodation must be made for one year after the child 's birth.

II. If suitable space exists in the immediate work setting, the supervisor must make it available. In the event an employee must leave their immediate work setting in order use a suitable space to express breast milk, the employee's absence for up to 20 minutes is compensable and is recorded as work time on the timesheet, time absent in excess of 20 minutes is not compensable and the supervisor shall afford the employee an opportunity to make up this time.

II. Space Requirements

A .  Employers must provide a place for expressing milk that meet the following conditions:

I. Cannot be a bathroom

II. Must be shielded from view

III. Must be free from intrusion from co-workers and the public

IV. Has an electrical  outlet

B. UAA will make an effort to designate spaces as lactations rooms

C. Supervisors will make an effort to identify suitable space in the immediate work Supervisors will contact the designated building manager if they require assistance identifying potential lactation spaces.

 III. Retaliation

A. If an employee feels they have been discriminated or retaliated against for exercising their right to express breast milk during normally scheduled work times they are encouraged to make a report to the Office of Equity and Compliance through UAA 's confidential, toll­ free hotline at 855-251-5719 or online at https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/40174/index.html