Office of Compliance and Civil Rights (Title IX and DHR)

Nursing Mothers and Lactation Accommodations

California State University, Fresno recognizes the importance and benefits of nursing and lactation support for mothers and their newborn and young infants. The university is committed to providing faculty, staff and students who are nursing mothers with reasonable breaks and clean and functional lactation stations.

Lactation rooms are comfortable, private spaces provided by Fresno State to mothers for the purpose of expressing milk. Each lactation station contains a comfortable chair, access to electricity, and a table. Some stations are in a private room connected to a restoom lounge.

Mothers expressing milk are expected to make their own arrangements for refrigeration, including sealed containers and proper storage.

Employees and Students Expressing Milk

A Fresno State manager is required to grant a nursing employee a reasonable amount of break time to express milk as often as she requires. Managers are not required to authorize compensation to a nonexempt employee for time needed to travel to and from the lactation station and to express milk. However, if an employee expresses milk during a period covered by a rest break, the break to express milk shall be compensated up to the time allocable to the break. To the extent authorized by the employee’s governing collective bargaining agreement and wage and hour laws, a manager may reschedule rest and meal breaks to accommodate the employee’s need to express milk. Exempt employees will not suffer a loss in pay due to the need to take a work break to express milk.

New mothers are afforded reasonable break periods during Fresno State programs or activities, including classes, to express milk or nurse as needed without penalty. Please read more about the Rights for Parenting & Pregnant Fresno State Students.