New parents and parents who continue breastfeeding when returning to work, need the support of their team. Supervisors and managers can support their employees by being informed on UC Davis policies on accommodations.
Upon notification by an employee of pregnancy, managers and supervisors are responsible for providing and discussing leave and lactation policies and options. Download our helpful Lactation Support Program Manager Toolkit to learn about your responsibilities as a manager regarding lactation accommodation, learn about our supportive services and network of lactations rooms and best practices for your employee's successful return to work. Departments are responsible for identifying appropriate facilities in advance of the employee's return to work. Consider printing, and reviewing with your employee, our Return to Work Guide with helpful information and prompts for managers and employees to plan for lactation and work success upon return to work.
Leave/Time Off options:
Please visit the Parental Leave/Pregnancy Benefits page for more complete information on parental leave.
- Family and Medical Leave Fact Sheet
- Basic and Voluntary Disability
- Employee-Initiated Reduction in Time (ERIT) program
Lactation Accommodations:
Read the Guidelines for Lactation Accommodation which summarizes UC Davis and UC Davis Medical Center policies and guidelines for employees and supervisors. The UC Davis and UC Davis Health Lactation Accommodation is outlined in Policy & Procedure Manual Chapter 380, Section 25.
Download our Lactation Support Program Manager Toolkit for step-by-step guidance and a list of our rooms and services. Encourage your staff member to download the Return to Work Guide which has a template for you and your staff member to complete to make a plan that meets policy, individual lactation goals and workplace operations.
The standard time for usage of a lactation break is about 15-20 minutes to pump, a few minutes to set-up and pack-up and time to walk to the site which should not be more than a 5-7 minute walk. This break may be needed up to three times in an 8-hour day. If the employee is having difficulty meeting these time constraints, please be sure to reach out to WorkLife (worklife@ucdavis.edu) and we can brainstorm and strategize with the employee and/or manager.
Managers and supervisors can access a list of buildings with lactation rooms in our Manager Toolkit to determine if an employee has a lactation space nearby. Room users should have a contingency plan in place for non-business hours and/or circumstances beyond University control that restrict access to sites. Only registered participants have room numbers and access codes to the rooms for health, safety and legal reasons.