Dutch employment law and breastfeeding

[Zorra]

Hello!
I work for a Dutch NGO and am due to return to work after maternity leave in September. HR have told me that I am entitled to some time each day for breastfeeding, and a quick google says this is up to one-third of work hours. Older documents say one-quarter. I don't read Dutch so can't get detailed info from the government sites, and our HR are notoriously tricksy so I'd like to be armed with all the info I need before I broach this.

Thanks a lot!

If you post links to where you've read this, then dutch speakers could read it and tell you perhaps?

From what I can see: first 9 months up to 25%, after 9 months employers are still required to provide a safe, quiet space for expression, but that would be on your own time

The 25% is for either expression, or feeding at the place of work, if I understand correctly - wouldn't cover you traveling home/nursery for a feed I think

Info from here: www.borstvoeding.com/borstbaan/wet.html

The terms you are looking for are either "voedingsrecht" or "kolfrecht"

Isn't Netherlands great? I got absolutely zero in the UK, I would have been bullied if I'd dared to ask, it was bad enough being a mum of a baby without daring to ask about time off to express.

swings and roundabouts.. in the UK you have the opportunity to have up to a years leave. 16 weeks isn't overly generous...

you're right, you know how I got around it, I just took unpaid leave. Sounds like USA has the worst conditions for new mums in the industrialised world.

Great, thanks for the input. Will have another look, but the 25% looks right. My flat is above the office so should just be able to whizz upstairs

They have to provide you with a clean private space - NOT the loo. It's 25% and is designed for expressing.

You also are entitled to unpaid parental leave (ouderschapsverloof) on top of the 16 weeks - you get some tax back on this. Most people take it as one day a week until baby is about 4 - I took three months in a block on top of the 16 weeks and then one day a week for 14 months. I now have a 4 day week contract.

Parental leave can be used by both parents btw.