Mum Forced To Work Overtime To Breastfeed
Posted by Kym Weathersten at 12:09 PM on September 10, 2009
A NSW Police force employee was forced to work overtime for every break she took to express milk, a report has claimed.
According to The Tele, the police intelligence analyst – identified only as Sarah – was denied the use of morning and afternoon tea breaks and accumulated leave, after continued requests for hours that suited her childcare needs were rejected.
Reportedly, she was refused a private room and instead instructed to use a toilet cubicle or ‘unclean’ interview room to express milk. Sarah was left little choice but to express milk in her car, but eventually become so embarrassed that she drove home to feed her baby and was forced to make up for the time she was gone.
The Public Service Association claimed in a statement yesterday that Sarah is one of many new mothers in the public service being denied breastfeeding facilities in direct violation of the state Government’s own policy. The association will today launch action in the Industrial Relations Commission in an effort to force government departments to uphold the policy.
Was Sarah unfairly treated? Do you have any horror feeding-at-work stories of your own?
Sarah wasn’t unfairly treated, she shouldn’t have been bringing an infant to work! It is no place for a young child!
She should take advantage of maternity leave, as us other mothers do, and if she needs to go back to work, there are opportunities for child care. If she cannot afford to not work, then she should have considered affording a child in the first place.
She does not deserve any sympathy here, breastfeeding or not, the child should not have been at her workplace.
Joanne, read and comprehend before you reply.
“was forced to work overtime for every break she took to express milk”
The baby was not in her workplace, she was pumping her milk and not given the time to do so, as the law states she has a right to.
Women should stay home and take care of their babies needs, not to go to work period. That is the most honorable job in the world and the most difficult is to raise a child who later becomes an adult who is well balanced socially and not to neglect her duties as a mother by taking a secular job from a man who is build with an outer shell to be the bread winner of the home. when are you going to get it? man…
Wake up wankers my wife expressed milk at home so feeding the baby did not impact on her job. This is bullshit if the copper mum expressed milk at home there be no problem. Its all a political by a mum that wants to make a mountain out of a mole hill. I say sack her!
Feeding the baby natural milk is so important. OK. what about the baby’s emotional food, psychological food, character building food. She should go home and stay home and quick the job. Mothers are not to work but to stay home and take care of the family home and the babies. When the feminist movement got out the the can, all kind of dirt came out with it. What is wrong with the good old way of mothers at home not out there trying to make a living. My hart goes out and my hat is off to any mother who has to work to provide for the family, but for those that do not have to work, then the man is the provider and the leader of the house and the women is the queen of here home, stays home and nourishes the family.