Breastfeeding at work: stop discriminating against women

The transition from employee to mother to working mother is not easy. Managing heavy workloads, childcare and everyday life is a significant challenge, especially if employers are unwilling to be flexible.

One aspect that is often neglected is breastfeeding at work. Breastfeeding workers typically need to express milk by using a breast pump several times during an eight-hour shift.

However, in some cases, women who are in pain and with milk leakage are unable to meet requests, and do not have adequate privacy to pump breast milk. This can lead women to express milk in unhealthy places, such as toilets – and leave these workers open to harassment from others.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "One in three nursing mothers were forced to use the bathroom at work to express milk, according to a recent poll by & nbsp;Slater and Gordon. In the survey of 2,000 women who breastfed in the last five years, more than half had to pump in an unsuitable location – including the staff room, car or table. As a result, nearly a third of respondents reported experiencing problems in trying to express, including problems with their supply, infections and anxiety. One in three breastfeeding mothers were forced to use the bathroom at work to express their milk, according to a recent survey by Slater and Gordon. In surveying 2,000 women who breastfed in the past five As a result, nearly one-third of respondents said they had experienced problems in trying to express, including problems with their supply, infections and anxiety.

"At headquarters, there is no specific room to use, so I have to try to find an empty office or a conference room, which has no locks or any privacy. I had to use the restrooms on many occasions," according to a pharmacist of 36 years.

"There was a time when I started with the company and I could feel myself breastfeeding. I did not get a chance to express before the meeting started and I ended up leaking all of my shirt. I had to spend the rest of the meeting trying to cover up the wet stains with my blazer. I did not feel that I was able to leave and just sat there. It was so embarrassing, "she said.

The woman, who remained anonymous, added: "I also had consecutive meetings from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., without lunch. Any 10-minute interval I get was not long enough to express. As a result, I have had many infections because I can not express or feed my baby in time. "

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Carla Montemayor, communications consultant at & nbsp;Maternity leave, highlights a number of problems faced by women at work during breastfeeding, including "lack of facilities or inadequate facilities to express milk or rest, no intervals for breastfeeding, and other problems related to the lack of flexibility in the return of women. Carla Montemayor, communications consultant at Maternity Action, highlights a number of problems women face at work during breastfeeding, including "lack of facilities or inadequate facilities to express milk or rest, no paid breaks for breastfeeding, and other problems related to the lack of flexible working arrangements on the return of women to maternity leave. "

Although it is crucial for the health of mothers and their babies to ensure that women can breastfeed at work, Montemayor points out that resolving this problem also makes it likely that new mothers will return and stay at work.

<p class = "canvas-atam canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "This year's search for & nbsp;Pregnant @ workShe found that some women who breastfeed were dismissed or forced to resign after highlighting the problems they faced in the workplace. The report & nbsp;Exposed: Discrimination Against Breastfeeding Workers& nbsp; have found two-thirds of cases of breastfeeding discrimination in the last decade have ended in job loss. "Research published this year by Pregnant @ Work found that some women who breastfeed were dismissed or forced to resign after highlighting the problems they faced in the workplace. The Exposed: Discrimination Against Breastfeeding Workers report found that two thirds of cases of breastfeeding discrimination in the last decade have ended in job loss.

Low-income workers have a particularly difficult time getting the accommodation they need to breastfeed, according to the report, and these women are only half as likely to have access to the time and space they need to pump at work.

In addition, various stigmas surrounding breastfeeding – and the fear of being discriminated against – prevent women from talking about what their employer needs.

So what can employers do to ensure that women can breastfeed at work?

"There is no explicit statutory right to breastfeeding intervals in the UK, unlike in other European countries," said Montemayor. "However, employers in the UK must fulfill their obligations to the worker who breastfeeds under the health and safety law, flexible labor law and discrimination law. Breastfeeding mothers in the UK have some legal protection under health, safety and sexual discrimination laws. "

"Employers have legal obligations to provide: health and safety protection, flexible working hours, protection against indirect sexual discrimination, rest facilities and protection from harassment."

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "It is important to have an open environment where an employee can talk about your needs as a working mother, and unwanted comments can constitute harassment, even under the guise of "jokes" – and should be reported to a manager or HR.Maternity leave& nbsp; advise talking to your employer about where you can express milk and when – if they do not have a specific room, they can provide you with an empty office or first aid room with a locked door. It is important to have an open environment where an employee can talk about their needs as a working mother: unwanted comments can constitute harassment, even under the guise of "jokes" – and should be reported to a manager or The Maternity Action advises you to talk to your employer about where you can get milk and when – if they do not have a specific room, they can arrange an empty office or first aid room with a lockable door.