I love writing about new knowledge that reverses outdated preconceptions that somehow continue to haunt the workplace.
An area that is particularly afflicted by ill-informed assumptions and policies that lack empirical justification is just about everything related to parenting and work.
For some reason, we just can’t seem to get it into our heads that giving parents the support they need to be there for their children will make them better employees in the long run. And as mothers are disproportionately affected by the demands of parenting, the fact that there isn’t more widespread recognitionOpens a new window of the importance of women’s contributions to the workplace also continues to be a big problem.
Even though there are some who’ve started to see the lightOpens a new window on these issues, a lot of work remains.
That’s why new research documenting the wisdom of deep-sixing preconceived ideas of productivity and value should be highlighted and celebrated. The latest findings come courtesy of the Academy of Management JournalOpens a new window , which indicate that new mothers who have the support and space to breast pump at work are more satisfied and more productive.
Is pumping breastmilk the key to workplace productivity? Maybe not on its own. But the research indicates that ensuring space for new mothers is a key part of building the kind of environment where people can thrive — and, by extension, their work thrives too.
More than a gesture
Even though providing a space to pump breastmilk for new mothers has become law in the United States, ample stigma is still associated with a central maternal activity in many workplaces. Others make only a passing gesture toward fulfilling the requirements, leaving new mothers with uncomfortable or unrealistic areas to pump. “Women find themselves relegated to cars, supply closets, and bathrooms,†study authors wrote in a Harvard Business Review summaryOpens a new window of their findings.
It’s important to take these kinds of needs seriously. Anything less and you’re encouraging a culture of dismissing new parents.
Space means time
Support for pumping breastmilk in the workplace isn’t just about arranging a physical space. It’s also about ensuring that employees can arrange their schedules to allow for time to take care of their needs as new parents. Often, that reduces to a workplace culture issue. Being a new parent is all about flexibility — and that’s also true for the companies supporting their new-parent employees.
The heart-work connection
It might sound a little silly, but don’t underestimate the connection between an employee’s emotional state at work and her ability to meet her goals. The research conducted on breastmilk pumping shows that when new mothers felt positive about their ability to take care of their pumping needs, they were more able to meet work goals.
That makes sense: If you’re interrupting work to take care of a taboo or uncomfortable need that’s not valued, you’re going to return to your desk distracted. If pumping is incorporated into the workplace, then it becomes a part of a productive workday — and productivity begins in the brain.