Expressin facilities

[Fi]

Hi all,

Just wondering a couple of things.
What are the legal requirements for companies to provide adequate expressing facilities for return to work mums? I know there is a touchy feely recommendation, but is there actually anything set in stone?
Also - what has your company provided for you?

I'm going back to work in a month, and already the company has started to be nasty - including making me work standard hours (8:30 til 5) even though I've always started early (7-7:30) and finished eihter normal time, or early. I really wanted to be finished each day by 4:30, but it looks like they are making life difficult for me deliberately. This has followed on from not providing part time work when requested, and generally making me feel like they dont want me back. Its mutual of course - I'm only doing it because I lost the baby, and we are short of money. As soon as I'm 12 weeks again I'm quitting, but they don't need to know that!

So - let me know how good/bad your company has been in supporting breastfeeding mums.

Fi

[kyliealysha]

My company has provided a small fridge in one of the meeting rooms. So you book the meeting room to express and then use the fridge to store the milk. The fridge is exclusivley used for breast milk. Seems like a pretty good system to me, but let's see when I actually start using it.

[Tracey]

I have a toilet near my office with a large change room attached. as there are only 2 of us females in that area, it's kept clean & no interruptions, next door is a tea room, but they moved one fridge into my office!! I could express in my office as it has tinted windows but as I work in the stores/warehousing area I often talk to the truck drivers & they come in outta the heat etc to be in my A/C office so knowing my luck I'd get busted, so easier in change room area! Plus my work mobile doesnt work in there so I am unable to be annoyed by that as well.

They have offered for me to go to the Medical Centre whenever to express, which would be more comfy, but about 15 min walk from my office & I cant be bothered!!! hee hee

My work have now nicknamed me Wonder Mum for being able to do it...
It seems to be easier than I had imagined!! Hope I can continue!

I believe they MUST provide something!!!

[Fi]

Wow - you guys sound like you have proactive sites!! My work is nothing like that - and I'm thinking it will not be at all good.

Oh well - it will only take a few sexist comments about my milk in the work fridge in the engineers office (I can just see it now......) for me to complain about harrassment.
I'm almost looking forward to this wee challenge.

One of my sisters friends was just told to do it her office and found she couldn't relax, therefore wasn't able to express fully.

[kyliealysha]

Oh well - it will only take a few sexist comments about my milk in the work fridge in the engineers office (I can just see it now......) for me to complain about harrassment.

I guess I didn't realise how lucky I am. I can't imagine using the regular fridge with everyone's lunch etc.

[deancey]

I am currently waiting back to hear from HR about where I can store my expressed milk.
They have allowed me to use the sick bay to express in however I didnt think about where to put the milk.
I dont know if there is a fridge in the sick bay and I dont want to put it in the fridge with everyones lunches as they are not very clean and always overcrowded. I dont want people moving my bottles or even touching them as they will be steralised.

Lets hope they come back with an appropriate place for them.

[Fi]

Argh Tracey - what a pain for you. Thank goodness I only have to express once a day - I dont have a problem with lots of bottles.
There is a fridge in the engineers office that only about 12 people use, and its pretty clean. I will be happy to put it in there I think, or i can keep a small esky at work.
I think I will just use my bottles the nest day for Jenna, so there will be no need to freeze them, just keep them cold for a day.

SOOO pleased I didnt go back to work earlier - I dont know how mums do this with small babies.

Fi

[nellbe]

Basically it was up to me what I wanted to do, my boss offered me his office to express in, it locks, is cool and has curtains and comfy chairs. So that's what I do, he doesn't care how many times a day or how long for as long as I give him 5 minutes warning so he can gather his stuff, forward his phone and get out of there. I am very lucky, I believe it has to be provided for at my work in general. In fact when we move in a few years I believe they are looking at providing special rooms just for that.

[kyliealysha]

I dont want to put it in the fridge with everyones lunches as they are not very clean and always overcrowded. I dont want people moving my bottles or even touching them as they will be steralised.

Yes exactly :shock: Ours are overcrowded as well and I can just imagine them getting shoved and moved around by 20-30 grubby hands

[deancey]

I just got response from work. No fridge in sick bay
This means I will need to put the bottles in the fridge with everyones lunches.
I have the avent bottle carrier, can I put that in the fridge with the bottles inside? That way no one actually touches the bottles themselves

Nellbe- You have a great boss, that is a fantastic arrangement