Edit: Two years later…and, with no fanfare, internal communication or email to myself, my company has changed their policy to allow for working mothers to express milk during duty hours!
The policy is now in line with Frontier and United, however some airlines still do not allow the expression of milk on board the aircraft, or for crewmembers to delay a flight to do so. Bus drivers and other transportation workers are not currently protected by law. (Lamd of the free, folks)
What i have learned from my experience is that being a good little employee and working within the rules of the company to get policy change is time consuming and exhausting. If you are experiencing a similar problem go to a regulatory agency that oversees your company and lean into the safety issues of the current policy rather than how unfair it is.
For any of my issues with company policy now I go straight to the FAA (anonymoushotline complaint). A comparative example: some of our aircraft had multiple broken underneath seat containers for the inflatable life vests. A policy had recently been introduced that spread the responsibility for securing those life vests between gate agents, cleaners and flight attendants, three work groups that were reprimanded for not being on time. The result was that some flights had about 5% of seats without life vests. I complained to the FAA and within three weeks the company was testing new, more secure, underneath seat containers for the life vests. Rollout for these containers is now finished across all aircraft and life vests are no longer falling out.
What i would recommend: Always reach under the seat to check your life vest is there and always complain to the FAA/DOT rather than internal safety teams.
Sorry for bringing this one back from the dead, but it took that long for policy change.
Original post:
I’m a nursing Mum, USA, and my work (transportation) is not protected by the pump act. https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/the-pump-act-explained.html I was told via email from HR that they “do not make accommodations for crewmembers.” Legally they don’t have to, so I applied for disability. It was denied with some accommodations for my return to work that needed clarification, but I didn’t expect much more. I then started my return to work process, including a medical return to work form for my provider to complete. The provider used the exact same, cut and paste, language as the original request for disability form. My return to work has been denied because they cannot accommodate me. Local unions advice: break the rules. So, yes, lawyer up, of course. However, that will take months or years (like the Frontier case https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/settlement-reached-frontier-airlines-pregnancy-and-lactation-discrimination-lawsuit ) and I am running low on my savings.
So, despite ten years with my company, I will now lose my $50~/hr pay, schedule seniority, union Healthcare, tribal knowledge, skills etc and go to another company. All because I wanted twenty minutes every four hours to pump for my baby - some coworkers take longer shits.
Regular pumping avoids mastitis and maintains flow. Breastfed babies have less health problems in early years. Nursing mothers have lower instances of certain cancers. Formula is a great invention, but costs money, and just isn’t a good fit for my family. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/breastfeeding-benefits/index.html
I don’t know if it would be helpful (it may be harmful, who knows…), but I can’t imagine a local news station not being interested in this story. I can hear it now:
Coming up, a local working mom sought permission from her job to pump milk for her newborn during her shift, a practice approved for thousands of working moms nationwide. But her employer said no, and now she’s being forced to find employment elsewhere. 5 on your side investigates next.
As a former local news writer - let me punch up that tease for you.
“A mother says she was trying to do what’s best for her baby - but her boss said not on my watch.” soundbite from mom tearing up about the loss of her job* “Tonight, why caring for your children may cost you your livelihood.”
OP, feel free to add this to your email when you contact the news station - any assignment desk manager worth their salt will be calling you within minutes.
I’ve updated the post (from two years ago, sorry) with the result. To do it all again it’d be quicker to go to the press. But my first strategy now is to complain to the FAA. Im no longer ‘engaged’ at work and would absolutely reach out to the press and risk losing my job if I had to. I understand why people are scared to though.
This why I hate America. This shouldn’t Even be a question that had to be asked. Hell some of those 3rd world countries Americans talk about give mothers 6 months or more of maturity leave.
She shouldn’t be force to choose between pumping breast milk which is the best milk for a baby and her job. Only in the shit hole of the United States would that be an issue.
Also I like the idea of the media but in this day and age will be hard to find a news station ( that own by the rich) that will give a shit.
I hope OP gets through this and forget that job. Her child will know mom did best for her family and not cave to the company that doesn’t care about her.
I agree. I’m annoyed because I have an over inflated sense of fairness. I’ve spoken to others at work and they just break the rules and to hell with it. That’s still an option for me, so don’t feel too bad for me. However I’m absolutely looking for other jobs instead, and to try to hold them accountable.
Just…remember that corporations, especially ones that talk about engagement and call you family, do not care about you. I hate the reality check when it’s unavoidable like this.
