Companies worldwide are paying special attention to the needs and comfort of their employees to make sure that they provide high work productivity. Employers are now more concerned about the well-being of their employees than they ever were. Also, the workplace atmosphere is evolving. Now employees are not expected to sit and work at one place all day long like a robot. They have the freedom to socialize with their colleagues or bend the rules a little according to their comfort. Adding to this, new mothers can also bring their babies to work once they run out of the maternity leave. Keeping the baby in close vicinity to its mother is acceptable in offices but what about breastfeeding at work?
Despite the fact that humankind claims to be progressing, there are still some basic natural processes which are looked down upon. One of them is breastfeeding. Even today, if a woman is breastfeeding her baby, a number of judgmental eyes scrutinize her character for this natural act. What we often fail to notice that breast milk is a necessity for the baby’s growth. Not only this, but the mother needs to feed her baby for her own health as well. If the office is allowing its female employee to bring her baby along, then it is necessary to provide breastfeeding facilities as well.
It is necessary for the employer to understand the importance of breastfeeding at work to make sure that the employees are willing to work in the particular office. If a female employee has her baby resting in the next room, you want to make sure that she is free of worries. This is why you let her bring the baby to work in the first place. But this practice will not serve the purpose if the mother doesn’t have the assurance that her baby is full or is eating substitute baby food. The baby does not follow a definite routine. He will not know that he has to ask for milk during the lunch break.
Usually, the breaks for breastfeeding at work are unpaid. This means that the female employee will lose out on her salary just because her baby is hungry. Even though the total amount might not be enormous, but it may act as the root of dissatisfaction in the employee. Her enthusiasm and will to work will gradually decrease which will affect her work productivity. This makes it essential for the company to understand that if they don’t adjust according to their employees, it may have an adverse effect on the quality of their workforce.
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Source: New feed