How to deliver breastfeeding initiatives in construction

A staggering 77% of mothers have reported having a negative or possibly discriminatory experience during their return from maternity leave.

With existing pressures on our workforce, we have a responsibility as an industry to support our female employees. Not only does this create a safe and inclusive working environment where our female colleagues can thrive, but also helps retain talent and support the growth of our sector.

Failure to create spaces for women, particularly post-partum women, may lead to a large number of employees turning to other industries where their needs are being catered for.

It is this concern that inspired Bolton-based construction company Seddon to take action and implement our breastfeeding initiative to support our female employees and make their transition from maternity leave back to work as smooth as possible.

Health and Safety guidance recommends that employers should provide access to a private room where women can breastfeed or express milk. In terms of creating an inclusive working environment, we see this as the bare minimum.

Providing breastfeeding spaces for women is essential to support our employees.

It would be contradictory for workplaces to say that they champion equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) without guidance in place that is inclusive of post-partum women and their needs.

It is this support that will encourage women to return to work after they’ve had children without seeking a different career path that better accommodates their needs.

Unfortunately, for many SMEs the challenge here is the lack of space, costs and limited funding, coupled with the educational element and lack of awareness in a male-dominated industry.

We aim to lead by example and empower other firms to adopt and implement a strong breastfeeding policy.

Our breastfeeding initiative originated from discussions surrounding our support plans for mothers returning to work and our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

When implementing breastfeeding rooms, maternity rights charity Maternity Action used Seddon as a case study for introducing breastfeeding initiatives across our construction sites.

This included creating a safe space on site and in the offices that provided a secure, comfortable and clean facility to rest, as well as housing fridges to store breast milk.

We have also implemented Maternity Buddies who support pregnant women and their managers to develop a plan that covers all stages of their pregnancy, which ensures that all their needs are met.

The buddies’ role is to help navigate the emotional and practical elements of pregnancy, including maternity leave and returning to work. Everyone needs to feel included during this wonderful time and our buddies help this process.

Alongside this, we adapted our return-to-work approach where we discuss the needs of the returning employee and how we can best facilitate the transition of their return, meaning that breastfeeding rooms are provided only where necessary and required.

Our overall implementation has been met with an immensely positive reaction and has encouraged wider conversations around inclusion. As a result, our employees have gained a greater understanding of how we can better support women in the industry.

Collectively, we must do more to support mothers in the workplace, particularly in a male-dominated industry. Not only is this essential for fostering diversity and inclusion, but it also strengthens how we can incentivise more women to join the construction workforce.

By demystifying the stereotypes within the industry, we can encourage more young people to enter the industry and inspire a career path in construction – something that’s essential for our economic growth.

Nicola Hodkinson is owner and director of Seddon.

Disclaimer: The content in this article refers to employees expressing milk using breastfeeding facilities only. Seddon does not permit infants to be brought onto construction sites or other high-risk workplaces.