Work travel request and first baby under 1

[newmumabouttown]

I have always loved to travel with work and will have one or two trips a year from UK to Australia.

I’ve had my first baby who is 10 months old. I was thinking of doing a short trip (maybe 4 nights) late February or March for an important project and to reconnect with my team based out there. The flight time is irrelevant, it’s time away from home that matters, and making best use of my time when out there.

I received an email a few days before Christmas from a junior guy, not even one of the execs, saying I’ve been nominated for a new project and should fly to Australia in early January for over a week.

AIBU that this is way too short notice, and I should have at least got a phone call? I know it’s only a few months difference from my plan, but in my head I’m finding it hard to go away for that long when baby is under a year, I’m still breastfeeding (alongside formula and weaning).

It’s in my contract there may be some travel, but generally the practice is we discuss projects and agree timings. It’s also breaching a policy for booking flights last minute.

Congratulations on baby. Reach out to your line manager and discuss the options. No point speculating or worrying about this. You’re a parent and employee and have the discussion about what mutually works for you and work. Both side need to compromise and accommodate.
If travel is pivotal to your role then your employer can reasonably expect you to travel, the details and duration you’ll obviously discuss

Given you’ve said the short notice is a breach then you legitimately raise that. You need adequate notice and as a parent to make plans

this can be resolved with open dialogue and listening

Your totally right, it’s just frustrating to have received this just before Christmas when there’s now no one to talk to, but yes not worth dwelling on I guess until I can speak to line manager and execs.

Agree, most likely poor comms
i tend to think such things are genuine mistakes or poor planning as opposed malevolent intent
can of course request flexibility in your work pattern request in writing [[https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working www.gov.uk/flexible-working]]]]

flexible work request

They also have to be aware of health and safety when it comes to BF mums and risks of mastitis. Also they’re just expecting you to have someone to look after baby at night/evenings. You obviously need notice and sounds like that conflicts with policy too. I’d just say that’s not possible right now but you’ll be happy to discuss future trips and go when the project has started. It’s not really a surprise a man organised this is it. Probably just wasn’t thinking/wasn’t on his radar but didn’t mean harm.

If they would have asked you previously in this way then I don’t see the issue? They shouldn’t be treating you any differently just because you now have a child. The biggest issue for Mums at my place is people assuming they no longer want the interesting projects if they involve travel.

When I went back to work after having DC1 I put in a flexible working request to amend my contract to state that reasonable notice had to be given for required travel. In your case, I'd reply to the email saying that you're glad to have been considered for the project but it won't be possible as you're breastfeeding your baby. Then put in a flex request as above.

*If you'd be happy to go if you can take the baby, then say that instead, again with the statement that you're breastfeeding.

Edited to add that as per a PP, they can't make you go. It might need spelling out that suddenly stopping BFing is extremely uncomfortable and has risks like mastitis etc. but employers have to make reasonable accommodation for breastfeeding mothers (and mothers in general).

Hi
I could have written this. I do a lot of international travel as an important part of my job and I love it and would never want to give it up, I’m out of the country up to 2 weeks at a time.

im now 5 weeks pregnant so the next 2 years will dramatically change my work and what I do (I’m high risk and cannot travel whilst pregnant). Obviously I will be in a similar situation in the coming months once baby is born

I would firstly discuss it with your manager, and see what they say. Also I’m surprised that you’ve been nominated without any conversation with you! You should, by courtesy have been included in this chat. I’d say a lot of your colleagues would love this opportunity so maybe you could work with a nominated colleague with you doing all the work on the ground?

it’s probably just crap comms and no conversation: I’m sure you’ll be able to get a colleague to go on your behalf

Exactly this! I love to travel and I’m lucky I have a husband who will look after our kid but I don’t want the assumption that I’ll no longer travel

I was still breastfeeding when I returned to work last year and given my commute times I knew it would be hard to maintain the first thing in the morning feed and still get to work for 9. I also did not want to do any work travel or be obliged to stay out for work things in the evening. I therefore looked into this.

There’s not a lot of specific legal obligations for employers in relation to the treatment of breastfeeding women. The ones I found were that there must be somewhere we can pump and also something about giving rest breaks, but less formally employers are at risk of challenge under the Sex Discrimination Act if they do not provide reasonable needed accommodations. I told my boss by I may need to come in late some days and wouldn’t be able to stay at work late and he came back a few days later (evidently the pause was checking with HR) and said it was all fine.

if you want to continue breastfeeding (or use that as a reason you can’t be separated from your child), I would email management and HR and explain you are breastfeeding and cannot go on the trip. I very much doubt they will make you!

If OP is willing to go away for 4 nights soon, would 3 extra nights sooner make much difference to mastitis risk?

Pump and dump?

Probably depends how responsive her body is to pumping. Like getting away with it for 3/4 days, might be ok as opposed to developing it over a week and getting a blocked duct and no baby to relieve it! It might be something that doesn’t effect the OP but it’s something to be aware of if the company aren’t reasonable.