UNSW recognises the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, and understands that many women will return to work while they continue to breastfeed. This policy therefore seeks to accommodate the needs of employees within the context of the needs of the University and individual work units.

Provision of facilities and support for breastfeeding includes:

The University is committed to providing for employees who are breastfeeding a clean, private room with power point, lockable door, comfortable chair and access to a refrigerator, hand washing facilities and breastpump storage area. The University is currently exploring rooms on campus, which may be developed to support this need. A key consideration in relation to this issue is that any such facility must meet appropriate health and safety standards, including proper sterilisation.

The location of rooms designated for breastfeeding and changing babies/infants can be found at http://www.hr.unsw.edu.au/employee/locationsmap.pdf.

The University is committed to providing employees with flexibility to take lactation breaks during their workday. These can be negotiated between the employee and her supervisor as part of a flexible working hours arrangement.

This may include:

Flexible working arrangements should be subject to the University's operational requirements and should be made up at times mutually convenient for the employee and the work unit.

An employee can negotiate flexible work options (such as flexi-time, part-time, home-based work) with her supervisor taking into account both the employee's and the work unit's needs.

Supervisors should be aware of the need to support employees with family responsibilities, particularly through the accommodation of reasonable requests for flexible work arrangements, including accommodating the need for lactation breaks or time to enable breastfeeding of children.

Employees who are pregnant or considering pregnancy will be provided with information about this policy.

Further information on this policy and related matters is available form the Industrial Relations Unit on telephone 9385 1710 or email irau@unsw.edu.au or the Manager, Workplace Diversity on telephone 9385 2736