Breastfeeding rights at work - please clarify for me please! I start in 3 days!

[carrie3003]

Returning to work part time after 10.5 months mat leave. Breastfeeding.

It is a new job (bank hours so 0 hour contract I can work when I like). Not worked there before.

First shift and induction is on Friday morning for 6 hours - a 20 minute break.

I have emailed and said my baby will be brought to me around 10/11am for a feed. (I read online that you need to tell your employer in writing you’re breastfeeding so that’s why I emailed)

They have just emailed back:

“That’s fine, we can look to work your break around that time if that’s ok with you”

I don’t have to use my break for this do I?
Surely as a breastfeeding mother I am entitled to my full break for me and a 10 minute breastfeeding “break” for my baby?
They can’t make me use my break to breastfeed can they?

What do I reply? It’s really shocked me as I thought she would just reply saying “yeah that’s fine”

Please tell me I’m not mad. AIBU? I need clarification on my rights and what to say back.

Not keen on returning to work as it is and now this has pushed me even more to just not go!

Thank you in advance lovely ladies xx

What happens when baby turns up, doesn’t fancy a feed right then and cries the place down when they see you etc etc. All sounds a bit ridiculous.

I’m not, but you fill your boots thinking that if it makes you feel better.

Non-office workplaces - Amazon warehouses, restaurants, coffee shops, classrooms - would be even more unsuitable than an office.

Exactly. Utterly ridiculous thinking she can have her baby brought in to the workplace.
If you’re not ready to quit breastfeeding on demand then don’t go back to work, it’s that simple.
And this kid is nearly a year old anyway and doesn’t need to be breastfed at that time of day.

Hardly a route to equality between women 😄

Hospitals, care homes… imagine someone’s dying of a heart attack and a crucial staff member is too busy with her baby. Honestly, what a ridiculous notion.

This. I worked in NHS and education and I have never heard of anyone getting time to do this. You just need to work around this.

Ive never known anyone be given extra breaks to breastfeed. Most women i know who have breastfed have stayed off for 1 year+ and by then their DC just feed when they aren't at work.

One colleague of mine pumped on lunch break for a bit.

You need to calm down.

All I've said is that women should be able to breastfeed whenever and wherever they want.
You should want this too!

Hahahahaha even for this site this is hilarious. Why on earth would your workplace pay you, to feed your baby? Wobble required.

I work for a local authority who offer up to 1 hour paid each day for pumping and/or breastfeeding. Whilst rare, it does happen.

You said it was a legal employer responsibility, but haven’t been able to link to evidence of that….

People have become so entitled these days. Surely this must be a wind up.

Most employers are going to expect mother’s to use their break. You don’t get paid for pumping / feeding babies. At 10 months it would have distressed my baby to bring them along for such a short period. I’d express or baby can eat solid and drink water and fill up on BM before and after work.

Multiple people provided links to employment laws in other countries where women get paid time off to breastfeed (eg Ireland they get 1 hour fully paid to breastfeed until the child is 2) so clearly it’s not such a wild idea that “it surely must be a wind up” 🙄

I’ve only seen the links to Ireland. Which other counties? I’ve worked in Aus whilst breastfeeding. No issues with access to pumps, fridges and a space to express but no option of extra breaks

See the "Eqaulity Act 2010" .
Women are entitled to breastfeed at work.

I don’t think the Equality Act says what you think it does

Some examples:

Switzerland
Labour law protects breastfeeding during first year of life. Time spent breastfeeding or expressing milk is counted as paid working time.
Poland
Mothers working ≥4 hours/day are entitled to paid breastfeeding breaks. 1 × 30 min (if working 4–6 hrs) or 2 × 30 min (if >6 hrs). For twins or more, 45 minutes per break. No legal age limit for child; breaks count as paid working time.
Estonia
Additional breaks for breastfeeding: up to 30 minutes every 3 hours, until child is 1.5 years old; if feeding more than one child at that age, break duration is longer. These breaks count as part of working hours.
Norway
Mothers are entitled to a 1‑hour paid break daily for breastfeeding; in public sector sometimes 2 hours.
Belgium
There is detailed legislation (Labour law and collective agreements) for breastfeeding breaks. The breaks are paid (by national health insurance) at a rate similar to maternity leave.
China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines
Provide rights for workplace nursing breaks; many are paid. For example, China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam have ~60‑minute daily breaks; the Philippines ~40 minutes.

Haha! I think it does. Are you familiar with it?

Yes

the Equality Act 2010 protects breastfeeding mothers from discrimination at work. This protection is a form of sex discrimination, which makes it unlawful for an employer to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. While the Act doesn't grant specific rights to breaks or facilities, employers have a duty of care and are expected to reasonably accommodate breastfeeding employees, for instance by providing suitable facilities like a private, clean space to express milk, as stated in the Equality Act code of practice

Absolutely no mention that women are entitled to breastfeed their baby at work.

Please stop embarrassing yourself.
Look at what the legal guidelines suggest.

So you DO think that all women in any type of job should be able to breastfeed wherever and whenever they want? Is this regardless of the type of job they are in? And are you saying it’s definitely WHENEVER they want and not just where practically possible? You keep changing your mind if it’s absolutely whenever they want or just when it’s possible.

But it is no issue - you just need to have your own rest/snack at the same time. I bf mine to 13-15mo and appreciate bf is tiring at first but by 10.5mo I could definitely have a sack and hydrate while feeding.

The legal guidelines have been posted a lot. They don’t say that breastfeeding women are entitled to paid breastfeeding breaks.