Work life balance

 Returning to work after having a baby can be challenging, especially if you are breastfeeding, chestfeeding, or pumping milk. 

This guide will help you make a plan to take care of your lactation needs at work. It explains your legal protections and gives you practical tips for how to talk to your boss about changes you may need at work. 

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) goes into effect on June 27, 2023. The PWFA gives workers the right to receive reasonable accommodations, like light duty, breaks, or a stool to sit on, for pregnancy, childbirth recovery, and related medical conditions, including lactation, unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer.  The PWFA's passage is one of the biggest advances in civil rights law in decades.

Harvard Business Review has great insight for working parents on work life balance.

"Importantly, our research suggests that this is not a one-time fix, but rather, a cycle that we must engage in continuously as our circumstances and priorities evolve."

Balancing work and family is never perfect, but working parents can make some simple adjustments to help alleviate some stress and increase confidence.  Try these simple suggestions from Stanford University sociologist, Dr. Marianne Cooper. 

"In our rush to 'get it all done' at the office and at home, it’s easy to forget that as our stress levels spike, our productivity plummets."  

Try these practical steps to reduce stress and increase work life balance from Mental Health America. 

For quick and simple guidance on how to increase your work life balance for comprehensive health, check out this medically reviewed article from WebMD. 

"8 Realistic Tips for Time Management When Working from Home," Robert Half

Addressing and prioritizing sleep for parents and children is essential to achieve adequate work life balance. 

On demand courses for parents and expecting parents by WRK/360.

Harvard Business Review (HBR) Working Parents Series Collection (3 books). Series Editor, Daisy Dowling

"This HBR compilation offers insights and practical advice from world-class experts on the topics that matter most to working parents." 

Included in this set are Managing Your Career, Getting It All Done, and Taking Care of Yourself.

"The handbook you need to thrive as a working parent."  

The All-in-One Resource for Every Working Parent by Daisy Dowling

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