No matter how soon women decide to go back to work after having a baby – this could be after two weeks or an extended maternity leave of over 52 weeks – mothers may feel they are faced with a difficult dilemma should they want to continue breastfeeding.
For some women, continuing to breastfeed once back at work can be a good way of coping with being separated from the baby for the first time. Women shouldn’t worry about continuing to breastfeed when returning to work as there are certain rights that are laid down by law.
Options for breastfeeding at work
There are several options in which mothers can breastfeed when back at work. Depending on where the baby is being cared for, women may be able to visit the baby at their childcare during the working day.
Working mums can also express milk, or partially breastfeed after work and feed with formula milk while at work.
Legally, mothers have a statutory right to paid breastfeeding breaks or, a shorter working day if their baby is less than 12 months old.
The law on breastfeeding at work
Women are also entitled to legal protection should they wish to breastfeed at work. For example, employers have a duty to provide rest facilities, protection from harassment and indirect sex discrimination, flexible working hours and health and safety protection.
Health and safety at work and breastfeeding
Health and safety protection includes policies such as ensuring the mother’s job is safe and that no hazardous substances could enter the breast milk. This could be if women work in an environment that brings them in contact with any chemicals or dangerous substances, or exposes them to infections or diseases such as hepatitis B, typhoid, chickenpox, syphilis, HIV or herpes. This could include jobs in healthcare, working with animals, in laboratories or factory work, but employers will carry out a risk assessment.
If a risk from these dangers cannot be eliminated from a job, then the breastfeeding mother must either be transferred to a suitable, alternative role, or suspended on full pay until no longer breastfeeding.
The Equality Bill, that became law in October 2010, states that women who are treated unfavourably because they are breastfeeding can claim for sex discrimination.
