I think they drank my BM...

[Just Me]

I just told DH about this ... he works in recruitment. He has just done a whole heap of training around the new sexual harrassment laws and he reckons that not only do you have a massive reason to complain to HR (and even file a case against them) but so does anyone that drank the BM. He said not that there is anything wrong with your BM but it is about creating a safe workplace for you and for the other people that you work with. As your BM is a bodily fluid, other people drinking it without their knowledge also creates a whole heap of issues.

I am pretty sure that under the new laws, even leading you to believe that other people drank your milk is enough for there to be a complaint. You have the right to feel safe at work as do you collegues and what has happened is a huge breach of that right for you and other people who are unknowingly involved.

[onthefly]

I dont' see how it could have been accidental - it was in its own bottle and would have 'settled' and not look like homogenised cow's milk at all.

[nothing2lose]

If I were you I would feel hugely violated. How totally inappropriate. Definitely complain to management. Quite apart from anything else it is theft. I am really sorry that happened to you

[Cherished]

I'm feeling a bit emotional right now so I'd have to say that I would cry thinking that someone had taken my babies milk

[Boo Boo]

I'm feeling a bit emotional right now so I'd have to say that I would cry thinking that someone had taken my babies milk

Me too!! I know how hard it is to express milk, 200 mls, that's a great effort. I would be mightily peeved off...how dare they!! Immature twits!!

[diva det]

what poo heads
i would be putting a sign on the fridge door
"to the people that drank the milk in the babies bottle in the fridge the other day- you drank breastmilk that could have possibly be contaminated! Please come go and get yourself checked by a doctor!"

might be enough for them to cack their pants and go see a doctor who will hopefully scare the crap out of them and give them a stern talking to!!
Joke back on them i say!!

[feeb]

what poo heads
i would be putting a sign on the fridge door
"to the people that drank the milk in the babies bottle in the fridge the other day- you drank breastmilk that could have possibly be contaminated! Please come go and get yourself checked by a doctor!"

might be enough for them to cack their pants and go see a doctor who will hopefully scare the crap out of them and give them a stern talking to!!
Joke back on them i say!!

Haha thats a great reply!!!!!

[Just Me]

I suppose for future reference, it would be good to label the bottle but I don't see why it should really be an issue. It was milk, in a baby's bottle and it seems pretty obvious that the other staff knew what it was. Even if they didn't, they touched something that didn't belong to them and I don't see how any of this is your responsibility. You put milk in the fridge at work and you are within your rights to do this. If your workplace wanted you to label it, it is their responsibility to let you know that. You did nothing wrong and you have every right to be upset about what happened. You also have every right to complain to HR and they are not allowed to make your workplace more uncomfortable for you as a result of your complaint. They have to take your complaint seriously and handle it reasonable. One of the outcomes might be that you are required to label your milk in future, but they can't ignore your complaint or hold you responsible because it was not labelled.

In doing what they did, they made your workplace unsafe for you and unsafe for the other people. It is possible that someone who was given the breast milk may still make a complaint. They were also violated - not by you at all - but they are also withing their rights to make a complaint.

I understand that it is difficult to make a complaint, especially if you are in a very male dominated workplace. I just want you to know that you do have rights. Whether you choose to use your rights or not is up to you, but be aware that you have them.

You could actually probably get a payout from work for what happened to you because it is harrassment. Whether it was intended to be harrassment or not is beside the point. If you contact a lawyer that specialises in workplace injuries, I think you probably have a very good case. It's probably not a road you want to go down either, but it is your right and I think you need to be aware.

You are a victim in this situation. You did nothing wrong and you have every right to be livid. Don't feel bad about where the milk was stored, how it was stored or that it wasn't labelled. They did the wrong thing regardless of these issues and you need to know that

[Kmn]

I think that the best option is to assume that it was "cleaning out the strange thing in the fridge". And label it - always. Or put it in a zip-lock bag with your name on it. Or put it in the freezer (because in office fridges no-one ever looks in there).
I used to be very unsubtle, and put a big zip-lock bag containing the bottle of milk and the milky pump bits in the fridge - noone ever investigated that!
Expressing at work shouldn't be traumatic - but save your fire for when you really need it and when they can actually do something to help. There's nothing anyone can do to "fix" this present problem.
hugs
Kate

[zilly]

what poo heads
i would be putting a sign on the fridge door
"to the people that drank the milk in the babies bottle in the fridge the other day- you drank breastmilk that could have possibly be contaminated! Please come go and get yourself checked by a doctor!"

might be enough for them to cack their pants and go see a doctor who will hopefully scare the crap out of them and give them a stern talking to!!
Joke back on them i say!!

HAHAH my DH just said it should have a sign that said
Who is the bloody idiot that drank the bull semen I had in the baby bottle

I'm pretty sure that would shut them right up :-P

[HotI]

HAHAH my DH just said it should have a sign that said
Who is the bloody idiot that drank the bull semen I had in the baby bottle

I'm pretty sure that would shut them right up :-P

Perfect!

[*EJ*]

I'd be pretty peeved also, it's one thing to think it was funny and want to play a practical joke on someone (if that's what happned with it) but it wasn't theirs to touch!!!!! Surely in communal fridges it would be common knowledge that you only touch what is yours.

In my opinion it's really wrong.

[trishalishous]

Id be peeved, especially if stolen on purpose!
thumbs up for expressing, I know how draining it is!

[Shanti]

I would be really upset over that!!!! Unless of course it was an accident then I'd laugh about it......

That's a violation really.

[Bern]

maybe someone tipped it out thinking it was off milk?
I know where i use to work, once a week the fridge got cleaned out and if anything in there wasnt labelled or looking good it got binned...