Companies who encourage and support moms through their breastfeeding journey see more than increased employee satisfaction, there's tangible ROI behind it. In 2008, several U.S. government agencies collaborated on “The Business Case for Breastfeeding” to spread the word on these benefits. While the statistics in the report have likely changed since then, the core points of the report persist.

Nursing moms miss work less often.

According to the report, “one-day absences to care for sick children occur more than twice as often for mothers of formula [fed] infants”. Why? A mother's milk supercharges her baby's immune system helping protect the little one from common childhood illnesses. For children at daycare centers where germs and viruses spread quickly, that extra protection can mean the difference between their parents missing one day of work and missing a whole week.

Breastfeeding lowers healthcare costs.

It's not just productivity and wages that are lost when an employee takes time off to care for their sick child. That illness typically includes a trip to the pediatrician and pharmacy - both of which impact an employer's healthcare plan. In fact, “Mutual of Omaha found that health care costs for newborns are three times lower for babies whose mothers participate in their company's maternity and lactation program.” They also found that “[p]er person health care costs were $2,146 more for employees who did not participate in the program, with a yearly savings of $115,881 in health care claims for the breastfeeding mothers and babies.”

Happy employees stick around longer.

Showing employees that they're valued by providing support for their growing family builds a sense of pride and loyalty. That loyalty translates to lower turnover rates - allowing the employer to retain top talent, safeguard intellectual property, and avoid the cost of recruiting and onboarding new hires. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power found that “a lactation support program for mothers, fathers, and partners of [their] male employees made a dramatic difference in reducing turnover and absenteeism rates” despite a majority of their employees being male. “They also found that 83 percent of employees were more positive about the company as a result of the program, and 67 percent intended to make it their long-term employer.”

It's great PR!

Despite the idiom, not all press is good press. Luckily, news about supporting nursing moms in the workplace is great press! It's an offering employers can share widely to help boost their brand which in turn can attract top talent and customers.

So how do you get in on these benefits? From fully paid boobaticals to thoughtful spaces for pumping, there's a wide spectrum of ways you can support your employees who are nursing. Reach out to us and we can help analyze your current offerings and make recommendations on how to take them to the next level.