Workplace Wellness Rooms & Lactation Spaces: Answers to FAQs
From expanding family-friendly benefits to re-thinking their physical environment, many of today’s workplaces are being redesigned to better support the physical and mental health of all workers. One of the key new spaces is a workplace wellness room, many of which may also include a lactation space (AKA a Mother’s Room). If your organization is designing a workplace wellness room—and considering including a lactation space within it—here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
1) What is a workplace wellness room? (And what happens there?)
Wellness rooms are private, comfortable spaces where employees can rest, recharge, and take a short break from work (and life) stressors. They’re designed to support a range of activities from meditation or prayer to yoga and quiet reading. Wellness rooms can also be a helpful space for someone with a migraine, a pregnant person who needs to lie down, or an employee who has to take a difficult phone call. Some workplace wellness rooms also provide breastfeeding employees with a space to pump breast milk at work.
2) How do you decorate and furnish a wellness room?
The best workplace wellness rooms are designed to be soothing, quiet spaces with a neutral decor, a comfortable place to sit or rest, and adjustable lighting and temperature. Additional amenities that can level up a wellness room include hand sanitizer or wipes, tissues, snacks, a mirror, and a trash can. To create a sense of privacy, wellness rooms should not be located in busy areas of an organization. And, because they are used by a wide range of people engaging in a wide range of activities, they should also be easy to keep clean. Select stain-resistant, non-absorbent fabric for furnishings. If the wellness room is to serve as a lactation space it should have easy access to water to rinse pump parts and a fridge to store breast milk.
3) Should a wellness room double as a lactation space?
It depends. If a wellness room is just one space used to serve all wellness needs, including lactation, your organization could quickly run into scheduling and capacity problems. Employees seeking some respite in a wellness room will want to use it whenever they want it—which could vary daily. But breastfeeding employees need a predictable schedule and space to pump at work. If they have to wait too long or miss a session because the space is being used when they need it, they risk engorgement, pain, and even reduced milk supply over time. To truly make space to accommodate everyone’s well-being, separate lactation spaces and wellness rooms are preferable. If space is limited, however, another option is to create a self-contained section of the wellness room that is private and free from obstruction for breastfeeding employees or install a freestanding lactation pod within the wellness room.
As your organization considers adding a wellness room and lactation space, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of having an all-in-one workplace wellness space that doubles as a lactation accommodation. It’s also important to understand the state and federal laws regarding lactation room requirements for your business as this may inform your decision on whether a wellness room, lactation pod, or another privacy design is right for your employees.
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