pumping after a year; wife's work objecting

[CassnBeth]

I cannot believe I am even discussing this...

My wife works for a very nice company and I never thought they would do this but they are moving a new male officemate in with her and are balking at finding my wife another place/time to pump on the grounds that our daughter is nearly a year old. I know many women stop pumping at this point anyway but DD doesn't latch and never has -- if DW doesn't pump our little girl won't get any breast milk at all. And, as a teeny, skinny, dairy-intolerant kid she really needs the breast milk.

My wife's office quoted this at her --

"Among many provisions, Section 4207 of the law amends the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 (29 U.S.Code 207) to require an employer to provide reasonable break
time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year
after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express milk"

Does anyone know of anything we can use to push back at them?

[annettemarie]

I am actually going to move this over to Lactivism to see if you can get more input.

[mysticmomma]

Note from a HCP that bf is still essential to her health? Also, the law says that they MUST provide it up until the child's first bday. There is no reason the company can not set a great example and go above and beyond.

[Jake Aryeh Marcus]

http://mothering.com/jakemarcus/brea...ce-pumping-law may be of help.

[Jake Aryeh Marcus]

Or perhaps this: http://www.mothering.com/breastfeeding/pumping-9-to-5

[CallMeMommy]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma

Note from a HCP that bf is still essential to her health?

That was going to be my suggestion, too. Doctor's note.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Definitely get a note from your DD's HCP to say that BM is necessary for her health.

Also, would the male office mate be unwilling to disappear for the time that she needs to pump? I'm guessing he wouldn't want to have to be around for that, and might be willing to find work errands to run while your wife pumps.

ETA - they are required to until your DD"s bday - and they are balking b/c she is nearly a year old? I think the statute needs to waved in their faces.

[MoonJelly]

Yeah, ugh. Why did they have to include that part about one year?! Now employers who previously would not have thought to restrict the time frame will now be more likely to do so!

[spughy]

I don't know if this will help, but does your wife's office have meeting rooms that can be booked? I'm in Canada, and I went back to work when my DD was a year old. She refused to drink cow's milk and I felt I needed to pump during the day so she'd have something. I was in a cube farm and my boss suggested I just book a meeting room every day at lunch (standing booking) so I could "meet" with my pump. As few meeting rooms were used then, it wasn't a problem. I worked for IBM, which probably had some sort of formal regulations, but my boss figured it was easier to think outside of the box and not go down the official route - this way I got a private place to pump, there was no paperwork or "accommodation" required and nobody could raise a fuss about my child being over a year and still needing milk.

[Chavelamomela]

Originally Posted by spughy

I don't know if this will help, but does your wife's office have meeting rooms that can be booked? I'm in Canada, and I went back to work when my DD was a year old. She refused to drink cow's milk and I felt I needed to pump during the day so she'd have something. I was in a cube farm and my boss suggested I just book a meeting room every day at lunch (standing booking) so I could "meet" with my pump. As few meeting rooms were used then, it wasn't a problem. I worked for IBM, which probably had some sort of formal regulations, but my boss figured it was easier to think outside of the box and not go down the official route - this way I got a private place to pump, there was no paperwork or "accommodation" required and nobody could raise a fuss about my child being over a year and still needing milk.

Its great that your boss was so supportive! Way to go!