DGD17-030

ACT HealthPolicyBreastfeeding Friendly WorkplacePolicy statement

ACT Health is committed to the health and wellbeing of employees and supporting staff who wish to balance work responsibilities and breastfeeding. This commitment is demonstrated by our commitment to maintain accreditation by the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.

Maintaining a breastfeeding friendly workplace not only demonstrates a commitment to equal employment opportunities, staff health and well-being, workplace diversity and corporate social responsibility, it also delivers significant operational workplace benefits by improving retention rates, encouraging earlier return to work, reducing the need for sick leave and carer's leave, and reducing recruitment and re-training costs.

ACT Health will therefore provide a supportive physical, cultural and operational work environment to enable staff members to express milk or breastfeed their baby during working hours.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities of staff in ACT Health relating to breastfeeding and the workplace. This will ensure that ACT Health meets the requirements set out in ACTPS Enterprise Agreements and maintains its accreditation as an Australian Breastfeeding Association Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.

ACT Health through Enterprise Agreements offers various entitlements which support breastfeeding employees.

Employees who are breastfeeding will be provided with the facilities and support necessary to enable such employees to combine a continuation of such breastfeeding with the employee’s employment. Where practicable the Directorate will establish and maintain a room for nursing mothers. Where there is no room available another appropriate space may be used. Up to one hour, per day/shift, paid lactation breaks that are non-cumulative will be available for nursing mothers.

Subject to consultation and agreement between the employee and their manager, the employee may utilise the lactation break to return home or attend another location provided the employee takes no longer than the break outlined above.

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More specific entitlements are set out in Section 114 of the Nursing and Midwifery Enterprise Agreement.

Scope

This policy applies to all ACT Health employees.

Roles and responsibilities

Managers will: Ensure that all staff understand their rights and responsibilities under this policy; Ensure that pregnant staff are aware of their rights prior to taking maternity leave; Ensure that the physical, cultural and operational working environment is compliant with

and conducive to breastfeeding friendly workplace considerations; and Support breastfeeding requests in line with operational requirements.

Employees wishing to combine work and breastfeeding should: Negotiate their working arrangements with their manager as soon as practicable,

including the duration and timing of lactation breaks; Notify their manager when they depart and return to work, if an agreement to leave the

workplace for a lactation break has been arranged; Take organisational and personal needs into account, with a focus on minimising

disruption in the workplace, when determining the timing of lactation breaks; and Notify their manager if their breastfeeding arrangements need to change, or cease.

Employees wishing to utilise breastfeeding facilities should Supply their own equipment and appropriate storage containers for expressed breast

milk (EBM); Clearly label storage containers with name, date and EBM, before placing in the

designated refrigerator; Ensure the child is brought directly to the space designated for the purpose of lactation

breaks and leaves the workplace at the completion of each lactation break; and Observe any other guidelines for the use of the designated room.

People and Culture will ensure that: Managers are made aware of this policy as part of manager orientation, and new

employees during induction; and The Shared Services pay team supplies all pregnant staff with an Australian Breastfeeding

Association Come Back Pack when they receive a maternity leave application, supplemented with ACT Health information including: a copy of this policy; a copy of, or link to, the section of the staff member’s Enterprise Agreement; an information sheet documenting the location and accessibility of lactation facilities (Attachment 1); and a contact in People and Culture for further information.

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Do not refer to a paper based copy of this policy document. The most current version can be found on the ACT Health Policy Register

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Evaluation

Outcome Measures Achieve annual re-accreditation as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace. Meet breastfeeding requirements of the ACTPS Enterprise Agreements.

Method Current accreditation certificate from the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Related policies, procedures, guidelines and legislation

Frameworks ACT Breastfeeding Strategic Framework 2010-2015

Legislation ACT Discrimination Act 1991 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Human Rights Act 2004 All ACT Public Sector Enterprise Agreements 2013-2017

References

1. The Australian Breastfeeding Association. Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace. (www.breastfeedingfriendly.asn.au/workplace)

2. Breastfeeding Your Baby in Public, Human Rights Commission, HRC15 December 2011, Canberra.

Search terms

Breastfeeding, maternity, lactation, friendly

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Do not refer to a paper based copy of this policy document. The most current version can be found on the ACT Health Policy Register

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Attachments

Attachment 1 – Information Sheet: Breastfeeding Facilities for ACT Health Employees

Disclaimer: This document has been developed by ACT Health, Canberra Hospital and Health Services specifically for its own use. Use of this document and any reliance on the information contained therein by any third party is at his or her own risk and Health Directorate assumes no responsibility whatsoever.

Policy Team ONLY to complete the following:Date Amended Section Amended Divisional Approval Final Approval 01/11/2017 Complete Revision Janine Hammat, ED,

People and CulturePAC

This document supersedes the following: Document Number Document NameDGD15-037 Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace

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Attachment 1 - Information Sheet: Breastfeeding Facilities for ACT Health Employees

Breastfeeding friendly workplaceACT Health is accredited by the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.

Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace accreditation aims to remove the workplace as a barrier to breastfeeding. For a member of staff to balance breastfeeding and work, it is essential that she is able to express milk or breastfeed the baby during working hours.

As a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace, and under your Enterprise Agreement, you are entitled to support to maintain breastfeeding after you return to paid work. This support includes the provision of up to one hour’s paid lactation break per day (or shift) to breastfeed or express breast milk, and the provision of suitable facilities.

Suitable facilities include: A private, hygienic, clean and lockable space (a bathroom is not acceptable) Appropriate seating close to a power point A table Easy access to hand washing facilities Access to a designated refrigerator for storing breast milk (this may be an

existing refrigerator for general use), and Facilities for storage of breast pump and other equipment.

Where a breastfeeding room has a shared function, arrangements for shared usage will be in put in place for matters including occupancy priority and alternative facilities.

If a dedicated or shared-use room are not available, other arrangements will be negotiated, taking into consideration the operational needs of the organisation and the lactation needs of the employee.

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Breastfeeding facilities for ACT Health employees

Site Location Access

TCH, Yamba Drive, Garran Level 2, Building 11 Near staff tea room through secure access door.

Ground Floor, Building 2

Shared Facility with members of the public. Obtain key from main reception.

Level 1, Building 4 This room is only available to staff working in Building 4.

Mental Health in-patient facility

Access provided by reception staff.

1 Moore Street, Canberra City Level 2 Turn right on exiting the lifts through secure access door. No booking required.

2-6 Bowes Street, Phillip Level 2 First aid and breastfeeding room.

Belconnen Community Health Centre, 56 Lathlain Street

Level 4 Access is through a secure staff area. No booking required.

Gungahlin Health Centre, Ernest Cavanagh Street

Level 2 Access is through a secure staff area. No booking required.

Phillip Health Centre, Corinna Street

Ground floor Shared use room. Key available at front desk. No booking required.

Tuggeranong Community Health Centre, 147 Anketell Street

Level 1 Shared facility parenting room. No booking required. Located on the left of reception, near the toilet facilities.

Health Protection Service, 25 Mulley Street, Holder

Shared use room/first aid room.

Brian Hennessy Rehabilitation Centre, Ignatius Place, Bruce

ECU staff room No booking required.

Callam Offices, Easty Street, Woden

Level 2, Building A Medication/treatment room.

Supply Warehouse Building 3, 9 Sandford Street, Mitchell

Make alternate arrangements with your manager.

Village Creek Centre, 37 Kingsmill Street, Kambah

Consult Room 8 Shared use room. Requires booking through email to administration service.

Last updated October 2017

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Do not refer to a paper based copy of this policy document. The most current version can be found on the ACT Health Policy Register