Today my boss slammed the nursery room door open when I was feeding my son to tell me we needed to chat. She then informed me that my feeding my son embarrassed other staff members and it was no longer allowed at my workplace and should I have to continue it would only be allowed within my 30 minute lunch break. I’ve also been told I don’t help enough with the other children in the room whilst feeding my son and being counted in ratio which is definitely not allowed to happen. So now I’m basically being forced to wean and at the end of the conversation they said “no discrimination though”. Is there any coming back from this or is it best to just walk? All female workplace and it’s a childcare centre
36 comments
r/legaladvice?
It is absolutely discrimination, and you should consult a lawyer for advice.
You should look up the laws in your area and consult a lawyer, not reddit
Nonsense, breast feeding is as natural as it comes. Your boss is being an a** hole. I would not stop. I also recommend to consult an attorney and talk to labor relations in your town ( I am assuming you are in US)
Time for either HR or a lawyer, you choose.
What country you are in matters as far a legal outcomes go.
I would look up workplace laws for breastfeeding for your country, at least the US and UK require a private place to express milk that is not a bathroom.
If you’re located somewhere with protections, here’s a good article about what to do when your workplace is breaking the law: https://www.askamanager.org/2013/02/how-to-assert-your-legal-rights-at-work.html
This is illegal where I live. From the cursory google search I just did, it’s illegal in Australia as well.
There are laws that state you have a right to breastfeed your baby, I’d talk to a lawyer and find out if there is discrimination going on in the workplace that can be actionable.
Just because you say, “no discrimination” after a conversation doesn’t make it right. It absolutely was discriminatory and you need to seek a legal consultant asap.
How old is your baby? If you are responsible for 5 children they would all have to be over 2? Or are they ignoring the law?
Contant the EEOC, get it documented.
Many moons ago when I was getting married, I worked for a company that had weekend hour included. I went to HR to ask for Sundays off to attend church classes and was told no. I filed a claim with the EEOC and within days they created a case contacted the company and I never worked Sundays again.
If you aren’t allowed to nurse your child that might be allowed, except they’ll be required to give you the same breaks to pump. So it doesn’t actually help them at all. I think they’re probably just counting on you being too intimidated to push back. You can report them, call their bluff because they know they are acting illegally, or find a new job. I’d probably do all three.
No discrimination though?! She says that because she knows it is total discrimination! Sue their ass!!
Contact a lawyer ASAP!
That place sounds dodgy on every level! Look for new job but also sue them – get what she said in writing. Email her with your conversation to confirm what she said so have it all in writing & them sue them. Hopefully get nice pay out for you & baby lol!
Yea, that’s a lawsuit right there
That’s literally illegal here. Infuriating!!!
How old is your baby (I notice you keep skirting that question) and how long are your feeding breaks? How frequent?
I would imagine there are time limits, maybe age limits on this but if you are still nursing a 1.5 year old for 45 minutes 5 times a day I can see their point. But I am sure you have legal rights, in the US you would.
It is Federal discrimination under Title VII, consult your local Human Rights Commission or an attorney, in the meantime, document every conversation
Walk away yes, directly to a lawyer!!!
I know everyone is saying lawyer up but when I was nursing/pumping, the laws in my state did not apply to companies with fewer than 100 employees. The time I took to pump wasn’t an issue (I usually took work with me) but I had no decent options for where to go-a conference room with no locks (got walked in on twice), the public bathroom, or the storage closet full of dust and dirt and whatever else. But it was important to me so I made it work.
Would you be able to just take 3 10-minute breaks during the day, and not take a 30-minute lunch break? Not ideal but might be a solution.
Op
You have to say where you live
Most places this kind of action would get you a probono lawyer and them a bad lawsuit
It doesn’t matter if it’s a paid break or not. If she can’t pump or express as needed, she runs the risk of getting a blockage, and that leads to mastitis infection that can potentially turn fatal. So op is medically protected and legally protected. Lawyer up op
It is definitely not making others uncomfortable, but you might not being doing as much work as you used to. The other staff are probably complaining to your boss. That is the only thing she could confront you about.
It might matter how old you son is. I know some who nurse for comfort after the child can walk and talk in sentences.
too much information missing. How old is the baby and how many breaks do you take to breastfeed? Where are you located in the world? Do you have a place to go to breastfeed or are you doing it in the room while working?
My first instinct is that this is discrimination of some kind and against your statutory rights but I could be totally wrong and it really matters where you are in the world.
Personally I think your boss is being ridiculous, but my guess is that there have been complaints, possibly from more than one person. Your boss is just left looking like the asshole.
Do you have an HR you can go to? Can you consult an employment lawyer?
This isn’t really the sub for this question, it would be better in r/legaladvice
she should put you in a different room at the nursery. then you will not be accused of favouring your own child over the others without jeopardising ratios. in any other workplace you and the baby would not be together for breastfeeding, you may have to bottle it for work/nursery times.
>“no discrimination though”.
i love how she concludes with that like she crossed her fingers or calling out jinks!
In addition to the discrimination I’d also recommend looking into whether or not her walking in on you while you were feeding is sexual harassment. Nursing rooms are supposed to be private secure locations for nursing individuals. Barging in on you like that is wildly inappropriate.
Your boss sounds like she just talked her way into a lawsuit.
Is “no discrimination though” the new “no homo” ????? That’s absolutely WILD.
That is 1000% workplace discrimination. Just because they say it isn’t, doesn’t make it true. You should be forced to wean your child. I would email, so there is a written documentation, her documenting what happened and your desire to not wean. And then check your local laws around discrimination in the workplace.
Get her to say it again in writing 🙂
Tell them you want it in writing then contact a lawyer.
What country is this taking place in? I’m assuming not the US as there are strict laws against exactly this kind of crap.
When they fire you, sue them.