Most Moms End Up Losing Their Jobs in Breastfeeding Discrimination Cases at Work

Two-thirds of cases involving breastfeeding discrimination over the past decade have led to moms losing their jobs, Fortune reports. The findings were included in one of the first comprehensive reports on breastfeeding discrimination in the workplace.

In addition to the majority of employees who ended up losing their jobs through firing or being forced to resign, another finding revealed 75 percent of workers in that group experienced some kind of economic penalty, such as reduced hours or going unpaid during their breaks.

Breastfeeding discrimination may sound like something you’d never experience at work, but it’s sadly more common than you think. Some nursing moms are denied break requests from employees when they’re leaking milk, and may even be fired for asking for a break. Other times, moms are refused a clean and private space to pump, or they experience inappropriate comments from co-workers about pumping or their breasts.

On the whole, women are supposed to receive a clean place to pump, 15 to 20 minute breaks to do so and a temporary change in duties if necessary. When these basic requirements aren’t met, many moms end up weaning earlier than they planned.

Another major finding from the study shows breastfeeding discrimination is the highest in traditionally “male-dominated” work environments. To put things in perspective, although only 16 percent of women work in an industry that’s considered male-dominated, 43 percent of breastfeeding discrimination claims came from those industries.

To say the report is alarming is an understatement. Creating a safe and supportive environment for new moms helps them and, in the long run, their company excel. In fact, a July 2018 study showed the key to breastfeeding success for new moms returning from maternity leave is co-worker support.

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