Want to send this story to another AOL member? Click on the heart at the top
of this window.
Nestle USA and LifeCare(R), Inc. Seminar Help California Businesses
Understand New Workplace Breastfeeding Act
Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, Join Leading Human Resource
Professionals to Discuss Strategies for Complying with New Legislation
GLENDALE, Calif., March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, February 1, 2002
LifeCare(R), Inc., a leading provider of Life Event Management Services(SM),
hosted a seminar at Nestle USA, part of the world's largest food company, on
establishing successful workplace breastfeeding strategies for Southern
California area companies. The seminar brought together Assemblyman Dario
Frommer, D-Glendale and Carol Ann Friedman, R.N., IBCLC, Program Director for
Mothers at Work(R) at LifeCare, to provide information on the business impact
of California's new Lactation Accommodation law, Bill 1025. The legislation
became effective January 1, 2002.
"The new mandate allows employees to express breast milk at the workplace
during their meal or break period," said Frommer, a sponsor of the new law.
"It also requires employers to make reasonable efforts to provide a room or
other location close to the work area, other than a toilet stall, for the
employee to express milk in private." The act covers all employers, including
the state and municipalities.
"Employers can lower health care costs, lower absenteeism and increase
productivity, recruitment and retention by helping employees overcome the
breastfeeding-working obstacle," said Friedman. "We are excited to work with
Nestle USA to help show local businesses how they too can implement a
successful program."
California is the ninth state to pass the legislation, with five states
pending workplace breastfeeding laws. The new trend in legislation is due to
the booming increase of women who are facing the challenge of combining
breastfeeding and working. Women with infants and toddlers are the fastest
growing segment of the workforce. More than 50 percent of American women who
are employed when they become pregnant return to the labor force by the time
their children are three months old and 83 percent of new mothers work by the
time their babies are six months old.
Ms. Friedman provided attendees with information on the health benefits for
both mothers and babies, cited research demonstrating the significant amount
of money companies save in decreased health care costs and absenteeism, and
outlined the key elements for a successful workplace breastfeeding program,
featuring a tour of the lactation room and program at Nestle USA as an
exceptional example.
"We have worked diligently to provide services for our employees who are
trying to balance work with the responsibilities of breastfeeding," said K.
D. Shaughnessy, Director, Benefits and Work/Life Programs, Nestle USA.
"Nestle has long been dedicated to our workforce and we are proud that we
have been selected as a role model."
The seminar was sponsored by LifeCare's Mothers at Work(R), the leading
workplace breastfeeding program in the United States. Mothers at Work is
designed to ease the breastfeeding employee's transition back to work so that
employers, working mothers and babies benefit.
About LifeCare, Inc.
LifeCare, Inc. is a human services organization specializing in Life Event
Management(SM). With more than 17 years of experience in delivering "high
touch" resource and referral services through the use of innovative
technology, LifeCare helps employees manage the day-to-day challenges of
their lives and the lives of their families -- and in turn helps employers
improve productivity, recruitment, retention and workplace commitment.
LifeCare currently serves more than 1,200 companies and organizations,
representing more than 4 million employees. The company's URL is
http://www.lifecare.com. For more information about workplace breastfeeding
programs, please contact LifeCare, Inc. at 1-(800) 873-4636.
About Nestle USA
Nestle has a strong history of bringing out the very best in babies. It all
started in 1867, when a young pharmacist named Henri Nestle was asked to look
in on a neighbor's child who could not breastfeed. Henri saved the baby's
life by creating a special mixture of what would later be recognized as the
world's first infant food. Nestle has been in the business of caring for
babies ever since. For more information and advice on infant nutrition,
parents can call 1.800.365.9184 or visit http://www.verybestbaby.com.
For well over a century, Nestle has been making the very best food and
beverage products for families around the world. In the U.S., Nestle's
well-known brands include: Nestle(R) Toll House(R), Nestle(R) Nesquik(TM),
Nestle(R) Carnation(R) Coffee-mate(R), Stouffer's(R), Stouffer's(R) Lean
Cuisine(R), Nescafe(R), Libby's(R) Juicy Juice(R), Buitoni(R), Taster's
Choice(R), Ortega(R), PowerBar(R), Nestle(R) Crunch(R), Nestle(R)
Butterfinger(R), Wonka(R), Friskies(R) Fancy Feast(R), ALPO(R), and Mighty
Dog(R). Headquartered in Glendale, Calif., Nestle USA has 17,300 employees,
$8 billion in sales and is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A. -- the world's
largest food company. Visit us at http://www.Nestleusa.com.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X95348735
SOURCE Nestle USA
CO: LifeCare(R), Inc.; Nestle USA
ST: California
IN: FOD
SU:
03/07/2002 11:08 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
