To have a big cry about work now saying they won't give me time to express?

[BumpPower]

Fuck! Any breastfeeding teachers have any ideas?
Started back at work end of July. Expressing for my 5month old. Explained to work/line manager what I'd do. I'm a teacher and asked to be excused lunch duties. Was told it wasn't a problem and got on fine but mat cover was still there so no really impact on school. kids back on Wednesday and today been told "my request has been turned down!!". I'm a classteacher with my kids all day so I asked that I be excused duties during lunch (half staff supervise kids eating while others have their lunch then after 30mins we swap over). This would give me 15mins at 1100 and then an hour at 1200 everyday to express plus I could express before 0800 and after 1530. This was the only solution I could think of that didn't impact on the pupils learning (I.e. Have me leave them). I am effectively only asking for 30mins extention on my break.
Do I have U expectations?

http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/j/k/Acasguideeonaccommodatinggbreastfeedinginntheworkplacee(JANUARY2014).pdf

www.maternityaction.org.uk/advice-2/mums-dads-scenarios/6-breastfeeding-rights/continuing-to-breastfeed-when-you-return-to-work/

I think this denial may go against health and safety.

About your once a week break duty ... I'm a teacher and would happily do two duties a week so you could express, I'm sure there are people at your work who would do the same.

I'm also a member of SLT and can't believe the attitude of yours! Don't they know we are in a recruitment crisis? If I were you I would look for another job, there are plenty around in my area, decent jobs too.

Can't help but feel waiting until today was v deliberate, when is deadline for handing in your notice....?

Stuff that, this discrimination is causing you stress and mental anguish and any GP with an ounce of empathy would sign you off for two weeks to negotiate.

I would ring the union back and push for them to support you on this! I think teaching should be a bit of a different case with expressing as you can't rearrange your day to fit it in, so you need additional time (especially with a ridiculous 30 minute lunch!). Any decent SLT should be trying hard to find a way to accommodate this!

This is really shit. I bet if you got out your equipment and started expressing in the canteen while supervising lunch, they may reconsider their opinion on this. Or taught a class with your tits leaking all down your shirt, or called in sick with mastitis? Depends how shy you are about making an exhibition of yourself I suppose, but it would get your point across. Surely, apart from the discrimination aspects, there is also a health and safety case to be made re. Mastitis / blocked ducts etc?

I bet a lot of their decision comes from ignorance of how breast feeding and milk production actually work. Maybe you could write a letter/ email to them explaining in detail the consequences of this decision on you?

I'm always one to fight for the rights of breastfeeding women and one of the first to go to the union if I think an employer is wrong. However... In my school lunch is only 30 minutes long, I expressed during breaktime in the morning and during my lunch while I ate my lunch. I did argue for a bit of an extension and got it, I did not do afternoon registration, this gave me 10 minutes to go to the toilet and safely put away the milk and rinse out the pump. Perhaps instead of asking for another half hour, you could ask for 10 minutes and someone else do your registration?

I would explain to your head that not being able to express will increase the likelihood of mastitis are you are going to continue to breastfeed. Explain what mastitis is and how it will mean you will have to take time off work to recover. Point out that your breasts will leak all afternoon and you will have to deal with this in the classroom.

I would tell them then you will have to pump in the lunchroom in front of the children as it isn't an option not to pump.

If you've gone back early and your baby is under 12months, you are covered by law.

I think the very bottom line is that it's incredibly difficult to fire you. It's a very long process.

I would write them a letter and copying in the union saying you're unable to do lunch duty until you've stopped expressing.

I'd also try to find a way to express quicker while eating.

But you need your big girl pants to be firm. And you need to not people please.

If they start harassing you about your very reasonable decision to not do lunch duty as you're expressing you can always go off on full pay sick with stress and start a grievance. Or start expressing while doing lunch duty - they will soon find somewhere more comfortable if the children cotton on to it.

You need to express and you need to assert your rights to do so.

Also can you express in the classroom the second the kids leave, giving you more time?

I'm surprised that there are people here saying they have used 10 minute breaks to express. How on earth did you get your equipment set up, let down going, pump adequate milk, clean up and store in that time? You would need at least 30 mins - 40 if you're going to get some form of sustenance into yourself as well

It makes me so sad and angry that we are still fighting for this shit in 2016.

You should not be doing lunch duty; the unions fought hard to get this overturned in 1969, and I never did it again. You are not a dinner lady.
I am aware that academies are imposing these conditions on staff, and you and your colleagues need to contact your unions, and do everything you can to get this overturned.
Another solution of course, would be to stop breast-feeding your baby, not the end of the world.

I am a nurse, working on a unit which cares for 0-2 year olds, including babies/mum's that come in for breast feeding support, in a UNICEF Breast Feeding Friendly Trust and I was told I was only allowed time out to express if I then made the time up at the end of the day.

I returned to work when DS was 9 months and due to my shifts it meant that I was away from him for 14 hours therefore had to express 2-3 times whilst at work, taking maybe 15-20 minutes each time.

This meant that after working 13.5 hours on a busy unit I then had to stay behind 40-60 minutes after my
colleagues had left.

I contacted HR who said that legally we have to be provided a space for us to express but it is to Managers discretion whether they allow us the time to.

It got to your point where I was exhausted did to "make up time", I was going out before 7am and not getting in until 10pm and so I decided that I was just going to not express anymore and deal with the consequences. One day, come about 4pm after having had no release since BF'ing my baby 10 hours earlier I was in agony, my breasts were just throbbing, I was leaking milk and it meant I had to run into your toilet, take off my uniform and hand express into the sink.

You can hardly believe it can you considering where I worked.

Anyway, I then spoke to the Breast Feeding Team in the trust (who cover neonates, maternity and my ward) and they were disgusted - and I mean furious. They contacted my Clinical Lead about the absurdity/unfairness of it and how angry they were and it must have worked because I was turn told I could express as many times as I needed to and could go home at the same time as my colleagues.

The whole issue is so grey and blurry - there should set rules for every employer so breast feeding mothers can return to work and continue breastfeeding.

No wonder a lot of BF mothers wean their babies off BM before work.

Op, I'd address this from the health and safety angle - that it is unsafe for you not to express because of mastitis and blocked ducts, that it will cause you physical pain if you do not express, and that you are unable, for those reasons, to do the lunch duty. I'd also buy a good double pump and hands free pumping bra to speed things up, if possible. I managed to eat my lunch and pump in about 40 minutes as long as I could also do a short morning and afternoon pumping session, but it was a really miserable struggle.

I do think the time should be made up. If it takes 20-25 minutes a time and it is 3 times during the workng day, that is about 1 hr - 1hr 15 minutes a day or 5 -6hrs15 minutes a week. Why should an employer pay a woman to express milk? It is heading up towards a day a week. It isn't discriminatory to pay someone if they work their hours or pay them less if they don't.

The point is Goblin that many academies do not recognise unions nor stick to School Teachers' Pay and Conditions'. One near us will not even talk to unions. DH's friend works in an Academy in West Yorkshire where teachers have two weeks break n the summer,the rest of the time they are at work, preparing for September and running summer schools.

Teacher unions have no teeth any more. They signed their own death certificates with the 22 tasks which was a ridiculous agreement that resulted in schools being able to appoint much cheaper staff who did things a teacher was paid to do and the farce that was Threshold. Teacher salaries are now expensive at the top of MPS and the majority of staff get there. The £7000 per member of staff UPS 3 is a lot of money, particularly in primary schools and when education fundng is being cut in real terms significantly. Academies will appoint fewer support staff because of the pension arrangements costing them more.
The whole system is designd to make teachers do more, pay them less, allow schools to have unqualified teachers teaching and get rid of support staff. The new union legislation coming in will destroy unions powers completely.

"Another solution of course, would be to stop breast-feeding your baby, not the end of the world."

I keep thinking this, and then I think No! I want to keep BFing my baby. I don't want to make bottles in the night or have to take bottles out at weekends or half term etc. That's just shifting work from one area (pumping at work) to another (waking up, sterilising, making formula, heating/cooling it, lugging formula & bottles around).

"You would need at least 30 mins - 40 if you're going to get some form of sustenance into yourself as well"

Well, yes, that would be nice. Realistically, schools aren't going to give any more than standard break and lunch. In this instance, the OP should be let off the lunch duty, but the short break time is probably unavoidable.

Frankly, after day 2 back at work, a full teaching day, pumping at break and lunch followed by two meetings, I'm utterly udderly? exhausted. I have huge sympathy for the OP, and anyone else trying to make this work. Teaching is exhausting enough on its own (funny how a few months leave and then the holidays makes you forget this!)

If it helps, sometimes it's good to tell yourself you are wading in with a protest to make it easier for the next lot of women coming along.

I did this which is why the British Library offers facilities for expressing now, for example.

Thanks to everyone. I went to work with a solution - having spent the precious time for setting up my new classroom running round asking favour of colleagues - I asked for a 10min extention on lunch so I get 40mins to pump, sort and store milk, eat, drink and pee. Doable (although I achieved half the amount of milk I usually do today) but not if I have to find a space to do it so today I pumped in the staffroom (which has a glass wall!) no boob was on show but its still bloody wierd. On the positive side maybe it will help normalise breast feeding for all the young 20something TAs who looked quietly horrified.
I think people are right when they say this comes from ignorance from slt. Although I can't help but feel the rage with my line manage, I shouldn't have had to run around doing this so late. I did all the proper stuff, informed her in writing back in June, meeting with her and mentioning it as an issue. Makes me feel very unloved!!

No wonder the Tories wanted more academies! Unions with no teeth and women still fighting for maternity rights in 20 fucking 16 ;(

Go you !

You did brilliantly. I agree it's an education thing, they just don't know. What's that saying "never assume malice when ignorance is most likely" or something.

Unbelievable. Well done you.

Well done OP. Pretty stunned that employers still pull this kind of shit tbh

They haven't even sorted you out an office? That is totally outrageous! I either used the office of someone who always did lunch duty (admin staff) or I booked out the meeting room.

Well done for doing it the staff room! It will help normalise it and pave the way for future staff X