HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Work & Mother Services, a network of full-service lactation suites that supports working mothers, has engaged CBRE to lead its national expansion into American office towers.
The Houston-based company plans to expand nationwide, with a focus on major metropolitan areas including Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.
CBRE representatives Abby Alford and Lucian Bukowski will manage Work & Mother’s market growth and landlord and tenant relationships as the company scales.
Work & Mother operates a network of full-service lactation suites offering private rooms, hospital-grade pumps, refrigeration and storage, and a range of amenities. The company provides a booking app and support services such as lactation consultants and career coaching to help mothers transition back to work smoothly.
These breastfeeding facilities are designed as shared tenant amenities intended to serve multiple tenant companies within the same office building.
Employers’ Legal Obligation to Nursing Mothers
Employers are required to provide a private place—other than a bathroom—where employees can pump breast milk during the workday.
“Most employers have a legal obligation to provide a proper space for nursing mothers, but pumping at work has often been difficult. In-office solutions and multi-purpose wellness rooms frequently fall short, contributing to turnover around motherhood—many employers don’t even realize they have a problem until it’s too late,” said Abbey Donnell, Founder and CEO of Work & Mother. “We look forward to supporting more new mothers’ return to work and providing real estate solutions that tenants and landlords need in a post-pandemic world to promote wellness, flexibility, and inclusion in the workplace.”
High-Growth Venture Secures Funding From The Artemis Fund, HALO and BEAM Angel Network
Work & Mother is a high-growth, venture-backed startup that targets prominent locations in Class A office buildings that want to meet the needs of a modern workforce. The company recently secured funding from The Artemis Fund, HALO, and the BEAM angel network.
Work & Mother currently operates two locations in downtown Houston—The Jones on Main and Three Allen Center—and will soon open suites at Eastlake at Tillery in Austin and Four Oaks Place in Houston. Additional expansion is planned for Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Dallas.
The Work & Mother Suites operate like a shared tenant amenity, similar to a building gym. By offering safe, outsourced pumping facilities, Work & Mother helps employers meet Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements while preserving office space, reducing HR risk, and improving retention of female employees.
“The pandemic has pushed tenants and landlords to reimagine workplaces with a stronger emphasis on employee experience to attract and retain talent,” said Abby Alford. “Work & Mother Suites provide a cost-effective way for landlords to convert underused space into a valuable wellness amenity and support women juggling career and family responsibilities. I’m excited to facilitate their growth as a solution to retain and empower women in the workforce—an important business priority.”
Sept. 30, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
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Image: Courtesy Work & Mother
File: CBRE Handling Breastfeeding Suites. Work & Mother. Abbey Donnell.
File: (2) Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). CBRE Handling Breastfeeding Suites National Expansion for Work & Mother. The Artemis Fund, HALO, BEAM angel network.