Creating a breastfeeding policy: template and 7 agreements to establish

Most organizations only arrange cups when the first employee asks for them. This usually works fine, but it requires the same research every time — and it puts the request on someone who just returned from leave and has other things on their mind.

A pumping policy resolves this. It fits on one A4 sheet, you write it once, and it changes the conversation from "Is this allowed?" to "We’ve arranged this." Below are the seven agreements to include, plus a template you can adopt.

Why one A4 is enough

A pumping policy does not need to be a legal document. The law already covers the right; your policy addresses the implementation. What you outline is not what is allowed, but how it works in your organization: who to notify, where the space is, and who manages the records.

Three reasons to put it in writing:

• It saves time. By the second and third request, you no longer need to figure anything out.
• It prevents arbitrariness. Without a policy, the outcome depends on who happens to be the manager.
• It makes it a matter of course. This is the most important point. An employee who reads in the staff handbook that pumping is allowed does not need to ask permission for it.

The Seven Agreements

1. Who is entitled, and for how long

Start with the legal basis, short and concrete. This varies by country, so if you’re active in both, include both.

In Belgium, the right lasts up to nine months after birth: one break of half an hour for a workday of at least 4 hours, two breaks for at least 7.5 hours. The breaks are compensated by the health insurance fund. See breastfeeding breaks in Belgium for the details.

In the Netherlands, this right applies for the first nine months of life: as often and as long as needed, up to a quarter of working hours, with full pay from the employer.

Tip: Let them know what to do if the employee wants to continue working after that period. While it’s not legally required, it costs you almost nothing to mention that the space remains available. This is the kind of sentence people remember later.

2. Who Receives the Notification

One point of contact, with name and email address. Not ‘your manager,’ as that leads to seven different interpretations. In most organizations, HR is the logical place.

Also set a fixed term. In Belgium, the legal default notice period is two months in advance; you may agree on a shorter period by mutual consent. Add that you do this in practice — it avoids an awkward conversation.

3. How Proof is Handled

Relevant only in Belgium, where a certificate is required: from Child and Family, ONE, a doctor, or a recognized midwife. It must be resubmitted monthly.

Assign responsibility for reminders. If you don’t, everyone will forget after the second month, leading to an administrative issue that benefits no one. A recurring HR calendar appointment is sufficient.

4. Where the Space Is and How to Use It

Floor, room number, and how you know if it is available. Clearly state that the space cannot be booked for other purposes, or — if shared with a rest or quiet room — that pumping takes priority.

Also include what is available: fridge, sink, outlet, chair. So that someone knows what they do and don’t need to bring along. What belongs in a good space is outlined in setting up a breastfeeding room.

5. How breaks relate to the workday

The practical question where most confusion lies. Define:

• Whether breaks can be scheduled freely or in consultation with the team.
• How it works during meetings — can someone leave a discussion? (Answer: yes.)
• What happens on work-from-home days, business trips, or external appointments.
• Whether breaks can be combined with the lunch break. (Generally impractical, but some may prefer it.)

6. Privacy and Communication

Two sentences that are worth noting: an employee is not required to inform colleagues that they are pumping, and the reason for a half-hour absence does not need to be explained.

Additionally, agree on how the manager handles this with the team. Usually, the answer is: nothing. Schedule changes are communicated as schedule changes, without giving a reason.

7. Hygiene and maintenance

• Who handles the cleaning and with what frequency (daily).
• Who restocks consumables: soap, wipes, cleaning wipes.
• Where milk is stored and who cleans the fridge.
• Who to inform when something is broken or missing.

This section may seem minor, but it isn’t. A space left neglected for a month sends the opposite message of what you intended.

The template

Below is the text you can use. Replace the highlighted fields and remove what does not apply.

Lactation Policy [organization]
Last updated: [date] · Contact person: [name, email]

1. Your Rights While Pumping or Breastfeeding
If you are pumping or breastfeeding, you are entitled to take a break from work for this purpose. [BELGIUM: Up to nine months after the birth of your child: one break of half an hour for a workday of at least 4 hours, two breaks for at least 7.5 hours. These breaks are covered by your health insurance fund.] [NETHERLANDS: During the first nine months of your child’s life, as often and as long as necessary, up to a quarter of your working time. Your salary continues as usual.] If you wish to continue using the space after this period, you can — just let [contact person] know.

2. How to notify
Send a message to [contactperson] as soon as you know, preferably [term] in advance. You don’t need to explain how long or how often you plan to pump.

3. Proof [Belgium only]
You provide a certificate from Kind en Gezin, your doctor, or your midwife. Renew this certificate monthly. [Contact Person] sends you a reminder for this every month.

4. The Space
The pumping room is located on [floor, room]. The space can be locked from the inside and cannot be reserved for other purposes. Available: [fridge, sink, chair, work surface, power outlet, …]. You only need to bring your own pumping kit.

5. Your Workday
You schedule your breaks yourself at times that work for you. If a meeting runs over, you’re free to leave it — no need to discuss it in advance. Whether you’re working from home or on the go, the same rules apply; for external appointments, contact [contactperson] in advance if you need a suitable location.

6. Privacy
You are not required to tell your colleagues that you are pumping. Your supervisor communicates schedule changes without needing to provide a reason.

7. Maintenance
The space is cleaned daily. Soap and paper towels are restocked by [role]. If anything is broken or missing, report it to [contactperson or email address].

What you arrange in practice

The policy is half the battle. Three things you address simultaneously because they don’t work without each other:

1. Include it in onboarding. Not just in the employee handbook that no one reads, but in the document new employees receive in their first week. That way, they know before they even need it.
2. Mark the space on the floor plan. Next to the elevator, on the intranet, in the reservation system as "non-reservable". Visibility is the cheapest improvement you can make.
3. Inform your managers. One paragraph in the team leaders’ meeting: this is available, this is how it works, and this is not something you need to question. This prevents most awkward situations.

What This Achieves

A pumping policy is one of the few HR documents with a small target audience and a significant impact. It concerns a handful of employees per year, during a period when organizations visibly lose people — the return after leave.

What you buy with that A4 is a smooth return without anyone having to ask for it. And that’s exactly the difference between complying with the law and being an employer where people stay.

Don’t have a space yet? Check out our lactation rooms for offices, or first find out if you are legally required to provide one and what requirements it must meet. If you want to explore what your employees truly need, start with the impact scan with them.

Frequently asked questions about a breastfeeding policy

Is a pumping policy legally required?

No. The right to pumping breaks and the obligation to provide a suitable space are already covered by law; a policy is an internal implementation of that. It is not mandatory, but it prevents each request from requiring new research and ensures the outcome does not depend on who happens to be the supervisor.

What should a pumping policy include?

Seven components: what the employee is entitled to, who they report it to, how the evidence is arranged (in Belgium), where the space is and what it contains, how breaks relate to the workday, how privacy is handled, and who manages and cleans the space.

Should an employee be told they need to bring their own cup?

She informs her employer that she wants to take breaks — in Belgium, a certificate is also required for this. She doesn’t need to tell her colleagues anything. Include this explicitly in your policy, and agree that managers communicate schedule changes without mentioning the reason.

Does the lactation right also apply to remote work or business trips?

The right is not tied to the office location. When working from home, the employee arranges it themselves; for external appointments or business trips, it is advisable to outline in your policy who they can contact in advance to arrange a suitable location.

What do you do if an employee wants to pump after nine months?

Legally, this is no longer required, but it costs you almost nothing to keep the space available. Explicitly include this in your policy — it’s one of the cheapest ways to show you go beyond the minimum.

Last updated on 24 October 2026 by Stijn Belmans