Silent breaks in the job: How mothers can work faster again!

Silent breaks in the job: How mothers can work faster again!

Austrian politics has recently announced two significant personal details in the health sector. Korinna Schumann is now officially Federal Minister of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer: Interior Protection, while Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig was appointed State Secretary. The Austrian midwife committee (ÖHG) congratulated the two women and expressed the desire for close cooperation. Gerlinde Feichtlbauer, President of the ÖHG, praised the government program, which focuses on health prevention and a child health package. "The 1: 1 care during the birth has numerous advantages for mothers and newborns, contributes to prevention and reduces risks," emphasized Feichtlbauer and recalled the role of the ÖHG as a legal representation of the midwives working throughout Austria.

Breastfeeding at work: a central topic

The compatibility of work and family is discussed in the context of the new ministries. A current study examines how quantities and designated break times at work influence the breastfeeding behavior of mothers and their participation in the labor market. According to the study of the national economical society (NoEG), the introduction of tightening can make it easier to breastfeed mothers in the workplace, increase the breastfeeding rates by up to eight percent. Mothers with traditionally lower breastfeeding rates in particular benefit from these measures. It is also found that women who are more integrated into professional life after birth can return to the job faster due to the improved conditions.

In addition, it is pointed out that the integration of mothers into the labor market could make a decisive contribution to combating the shortage of skilled workers. The reality in Austria shows that the compatibility of breastfeeding and work must still remain with more generous maternity leave. The possibility of breastfeeding during working hours could therefore play a key role in improving mothers and reducing gender -specific inequalities, as documented in the study by Heckl and Wurm 2024.

These developments illustrate how important it is not only to offer women after birth, but also to create the necessary framework conditions so that they can realize their professional ambitions. The interaction of political measures and social framework conditions will thus be an important task in politics and society in the coming years.

For more information on the engagement of Korinna Schumann and the goals of the ÖHG, read more at ots.at . You can find more on breastfeeding and labor market participation in the contribution of the