Guide for Managers and Supervisors
A guide to help supervisors and managers work with their employees on taking time to express milk during the work day.
Columbia University is committed to supporting the health and well-being of new parents and their babies. In recognition of the needs of nursing parents, Columbia has an institutional policy for expressing breastmilk during the work day. The following guidelines are in support of this policy, as is this FAQ document.
The Breastfeeding Support Program includes access to private Lactation Rooms, managed by the Office of Work/Life, to ensure that lactating women, in particular those who do not regularly have access to private space, will be able to continue breastfeeding and carry on with their professional and academic responsibilities.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Work/Life.
Time for Expressing Milk
The Office of Work/Life’s Breastfeeding Support Program provides access to private Lactation Rooms, equipped with hospital grade breast pumps. These pumps can increase the speed and efficiency of pumping for women.
As per University policy, for up to three years following the birth of a child, the first 30 minutes of each break will be paid; if more than 30 minutes is reasonably needed to complete expressing breast milk, the employee may either (a) use existing paid break time or meal time to supplement the break, or (b) unpaid break time, to extend the break. The break time is inclusive of time needed to travel to and from the lactation space, and to set up, clean, and pack up pumping equipment.
Space for Expressing Milk
Columbia University and the Office of Work/Life collaborate to meet the needs of mothers who are expressing milk by providing Lactation Rooms on each campus.
Examples of Reasonable Spaces for Expressing Milk:
Please be aware that in the absence of a door separating the room, a public restroom is not an appropriate place to pump.