Friendly workplaces for working mothers

Abstract

Laws mandating employer support for working mothers—through workplace adjustments and job design—are prevalent worldwide, yet compliance remains limited. Understanding how to enhance organizational adherence to these laws and their subsequent effects on women’s labor force participation, productivity, and breastfeeding is crucial. This study investigates a specific legislative intervention enacted in Kenya in 2017, which requires employers to establish lactation rooms to support the combination of work and breastfeeding. By means of a nationwide field experiment, we examine the factors limiting compliance, including limited information, budget constraints, coordination challenges, and traditional gender norms. Findings indicate that budget constraints significantly hinder compliance, while organizational coordination frictions also play a critical role. By identifying these barriers, the project seeks to develop targeted interventions to increase law adherence and assess their impact on women’s workforce outcomes.