Parent Rooms in the Office

Having a child is a massive decision for any family. A new baby can bring both joy and a fair few challenges along the way. For the parents-to-be, there are countless things to consider, like “Will they have my eyes?” but there are also a bunch of other things to think about too, like “When will I go back to work?”. 

But what about you as their employer? Does the impending parenthood of your employee present challenges or considerations for you too? 

Here in New Zealand, employers are obliged to provide facilities for parents who want to feed or express milk for their babies in the office or during the working day. When a new parent is ready to return to work, it can be an immense weight off their mind knowing their employer is ready to support them on the journey. Providing a safe and comfortable space to do so is an important part of that.

We recently worked with the Hot Spring Spas team to prepare a parents room for one of their team, D, when she returned from leave. We asked D about the experience of returning to work after the baby and what it is like using a Quiet Revolution capsule.

It was never going to be easy for D to decide when to come back to work after the birth of her child, the thought of giving up time with a 6-month-old baby weighed on her mind. She was worried about the prospect of trying to juggle work and motherhood while still trying to catch up on sleep and get into a routine, all while catching up on everything she had missed.

Then, she started to worry about how her child would cope at home while she was at work. There was a lot to think about as she prepared to return from maternity leave! Plus, she knew she wanted to continue her breastfeeding journey as long as possible and knew she needed to raise this with her manager. As the first new parent in the office who requested space to pump, D felt so supported when she learnt that her team was doing everything they could to ensure she was comfortable.

Despite the worries, D was also really excited to be coming back to work. She was ready to see her colleagues again and was eager to contribute to some exciting projects that had come up. That excitement balanced out some of the nervousness. D was very fortunate to have a team who understood the journey she was on and benefited from their empathy and care.

Part of that understanding shone through on D’s first week back, and her boss and colleagues were excited to show her “The Pod” a safe, quiet and comfortable space for her to pump while at work. It was such a relief to know that she didn’t have to stress about feeding her child.

D was surprised at how versatile the Quiet Revolution capsule was for her. It was both extremely private and easy to move when needed. She could ‘plug and play’ and found that pumping could be very discreet. Often her colleagues didn’t even realise she was gone and taking away the stress and anxiety about pumping meant D could focus and contribute to the projects she was so excited to come back to.

The team at Hot Spring Spas chose to provide D with a Quiet Revolution capsule as a parent’s room option, here are a few words from her about her experience:

“I was very nervous about being able to continue my breastfeeding journey after returning to work. While my workplace offered me the boardroom to pump, I felt that it didn’t give me the privacy that I needed… I was very fortunate that they have decided to bring in the pod as it provided me the privacy and space to pump at work.

The pod was comfortable and had all the power points I needed, including a USB. The folding table was large enough to hold my pumping equipment and various bits and pieces. The design was such that it is quiet and doesn’t occupy much space in the office.

I highly recommend this to workplaces that have mothers returning to work after maternity leave. This not only takes the stress out of finding a safe and private place to pump, but also makes the transition back to work easier.”

• D, new parent and Hot Spring Spa team member

With lots of options out there, it can be overwhelming for employers to know what they should be providing for their staff. The good news is that appropriate facilities don’t need to be expensive, ugly or take up a huge footprint in the office.

So what can Europlan offer to employers who are setting up a parents space?

In most cases, parents are looking for a private space with somewhere to sit, a clean table, a power point and sometimes access to a fridge. While some office spaces can dedicate a room, that isn’t always possible! Europlan offers a range of pods that can provide privacy, connectivity and can be moved around a space with minimal hassle or disruption.

For something smaller and even more portable, the Quiet Revolution capsule has been a popular option. It is a stand-alone unit designed with both privacy and flexibility in mind. As well as being extremely easy to move around a space, the capsule requires minimal installation. And, it packs a punch, with a bunch of built-in specifications to meet parents needs, including a USB plug, an ergonomically designed table and a 360-degree private space. 

Plus, like so much of our range, the capsule is designed and manufactured right here in New Zealand.

If the pitter-patter of little feet is ringing in your team’s ears, give us a buzz. We’d love to help you support your staff by providing a functional, safe and peaceful parents room that helps them settle back into work easily. We have plenty of ideas and experience to share.