Workplace Wellness Rooms + Lactation Spaces: Answers to FAQs
From expanding family-friendly benefits to re-thinking the office environment, many workplaces are being redesigned to better support the health and well-being of all workers. One of the new spaces employers are offering is a workplace wellness room, many of which may also include a lactation space (often called a Mother’s Room or a lactation room) which is required by the federal PUMP Act. 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.
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 wants to lie down for a moment, or an employee who needs to take a difficult phone call. Some workplace wellness rooms also provide breastfeeding employees with a lactation space to pump breast milk at work.
How is a wellness room different from a break room?
A break room is communal, often noisy, and usually centered on socializing or eating. They’re important spaces for employees to gather and connect throughout the work day. A wellness room, on the other hand, is private, quiet, and designed for individual needs.
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. 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. If the wellness room includes a lactation space, it should have the appropriate furnishings and amenities that breastfeeding employees need to pump, including: hand sanitizer or wipes, tissues, snacks, a mirror, and a trash can.
Can a wellness room double as a lactation room?
It depends. If a wellness room is the only space used to serve all wellness needs, including lactation, your organization could quickly run into scheduling, capacity, and access problems. Employees seeking respite in a wellness room will want to use it whenever they need it—which could vary by person and circumstances. But breastfeeding employees absolutely require 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. In addition, wellness rooms are usually designed for drop-in visits whereas lactation spaces need to be private and free from intrusion, which usually requires a locking door. To truly make space to accommodate everyone’s well-being, separate lactation spaces and wellness rooms are preferable. (Wondering how to set up a lactation room? Check out this article.) If space is limited, however, another option is to create a self-contained section of the wellness room that can offer breastfeeding employees privacy to pump or install a freestanding lactation pod—which comes equipped with everything employees need to comfortably express milk at work—within the wellness room.
As your organization considers adding a wellness room, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of having an all-in-one workplace wellness room that doubles as a lactation accommodation versus a separate lactation space. It’s also important to understand the state and federal laws regarding lactation space requirements for your business as this may inform your decision on whether a wellness room, lactation pod, or another privacy design—like a smart lock on a room—is right for your facility and employees.
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